THOUGH DEEPENING TRIALS
by Darthishtar
Summary: For a thousand generations, the Jedi Knights were the guardians of peace and justice in the Old Republic. This is the story of two of them.
1. Default Chapter Title

PROLOGUE  
THOUGH DEEPENING TRIALS   
  
By Kathryn Olsen   
  
This is for Thalia, because she taught me that friendship and love supercedes all.   
  
My thanks to my so-to-speak guinea pig, Kyra. Many thanks for all her help in the development of this story. Thanks to Jen for inspiring my characters and providing me with suitable names for them. And, of course, thanks to Ophelia, the author of The First Four Days, for reminding me what the Jedi Order was all about.   
  
  
"Though deepening trials throng your way, press on, press on."   
  
PROLOGUE   
  
"To everything there is a season and a time for every purpose under heaven."   
~Ecclesiastes   
  
A TIME TO MOURN   
  
The Empire was dead.   
  
In the streets of Coruscant, known to most of the Galaxy as Imperial Center, chaos reigned. Statues toppled, riots broke out, impromptu rallies formed. Those still loyal to the Emperor fluctuated between panic and aggression. Those who had been living in fear of their own disloyalty responded with utter jubilation.   
  
In every plaza, the bootleg broadcast of the second Death Star's destruction was being repeatedly played as both a taunt and a celebration.   
  
High above street level, Anara Sahren simply hung her head, letting relief wash over her. At fifty-eight, she had long despaired of ever seeing this day.   
  
The door behind her opened and she smiled slightly. "You heard?"   
  
Tarin, her twenty-one-year-old son, crossed the room and embraced her from behind. "They declared a day of mourning at work."   
  
"I hear tell of a year of mourning," she countered.   
  
She turned and smiled. "I'm surprised you could get through the crowds."   
  
He shrugged. "It wasn't so bad until I got to this plaza."   
  
She nodded. "Your father will have more difficulty. The newsfeeds say that the Ministry of Defense has the most problems with rioting."   
  
"I heard that as well." He closed the windows and the sound level dampened. "Rana is coming over for dinner and to conspire about the wedding."   
  
Anara nodded. "She called me this morning to make sure it would be all right, so I made reservations at the 23rd Hour." She gestured towards the window. "I remember a time when reservations there weren't necessary. It was the favorite of many of the Jedi, but little-known back then."   
  
"Did you know any?"   
  
"Who?" She blinked. "Jedi, you mean?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
She smiled wistfully. "A few. We're actually where some of them would have lived. The Plaza was built over the rubble of the Jedi Temple. Thirty years ago, you would never have been able to see the Palace from here."   
  
"Why did the Emperor have them hunted down?"   
  
Her face fell. "I've asked myself the same thing for a long time and all I can tell you is that he was afraid."   
  
"Didn't the Senate try to stop him?"   
  
"He convinced them that the Jedi were the greatest threat the Republic had ever known and that if they were not exterminated, they would destroy the Republic."   
  
"That's ridiculous."   
  
She nodded and pushed him gently into a seat. "Stay here and I'll surprise you."   
  
The anunciator chimed and she palmed open the door to admit her future daughter-in-law. Rana embraced her, then crossed to where Tarin was sitting.   
  
"What's going on?"   
  
"We're about to be surprised, allegedly."   
  
She crossed to a panel near the door. She palmed it open, then removed a bundle. Crossing back to his position, she handed it over and sat next to him.   
  
"What's this?"   
  
"Remnants of someone I once knew."   
  
Anara removed the "rope" tying everything together--two strands of braided hair tied to each other. "Padawan braids. When a child was taken as an apprentice, they would begin growing one of these. They used to call them leashes. When the apprentice or Padawan, as they called them, was Knighted, the Master would sever the braid."   
  
He removed the outer layer of cloth and shook it out. "Is this what I think it is?"   
  
She nodded. "A Jedi robe. Not something you see every day, eh?" She took the bundle. "Perhaps I should just go through this and explain everything."   
  
She unfolded the arms of the inner robe, a lighter garment, and shook two cylindrical objects from the sleeves. She handed both to him, then picked up a sheaf of holos and passed them over.   
  
"Who are these people?"   
  
She smiled and pointed to a man in the first picture. "That's your father."   
  
Tarin's head snapped up and Rana turned to stare at him. "Your father was a Jedi?"   
  
Anara shook her head and took a deep breath. "Tarin, that's your father."   
  
He stared at the holo. "I don't understand."   
  
She fingered the material of the first robe. "His name was Yrin Llyr; I met him when I was twenty-three and he was killed in the last phase of the Purges."   
  
Tarin stared at the holo, then moved through the rest of the holos. All of them included the man.   
  
"Who's the man that I call father?"   
  
Ana rubbed her ring finger absently. "He is as much a father to you as any. He raised you, he loved you, but he did not create you."   
  
Tarin sucked in his breath. "You have some explaining to do, I think."   
  
She nodded. "I've been waiting twenty-one years to explain this to you."   
  
She held up the two lightsabers. "The one in my right hand is Yrin Llyr's. The one in my left is mine."   
  
She took the holos and leafed through them. She stopped and removed five. "These are your sisters and brother. They were killed in the Purges as well.   
  
"I was born Ana Majav, the daughter of two Jedi Knights. When your father was killed, he asked me to make sure that you had a normal life. I met the man you call father and he took me in and protected me. It was necessary that I marry him so no one would ask questions. By the time you were born, I did love him. He is every bit your family as I am."   
  
Tarin inhaled. "Tell me the story of my family. I think I have a right to know where I came from."   
  
She took the holos and turned to the first one. "That you do."   
  
46 YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF ENDOR   
  
Master Sah Khil held his lightsaber in front of him like a beacon, squinting into the relative darkness of the hovel. Not a single light was on. In the darkness, someone was weeping loudly, speaking words he couldn't understand. By the glow of his lightsaber, he could see the outline of a prone body. Taking a deep breath, he dashed into the chamber and swung his saber around, looking for any hint of an attacker. There was none.   
  
He dropped to his knees next to the body and checked for a pulse in vain. He brushed away the dark hair from the woman's face and caught his breath.   
  
"Lisaar, I've found Master Majav."   
  
"Which one?"   
  
"Saria."   
  
His companion, a recently promoted Jedi Knight, stepped cautiously into the room. "Is she all right?"   
  
"Dead," he said quietly. "From the looks of it, she died quickly."   
  
Lisaar shuddered and crossed to the wall. "Where's the girl?"   
  
His question was answered as Lisaar found the lights. Cowering in a corner was a thirteen-year-old girl, clutching an extinguished lightsaber to her chest.   
  
Khil instinctively drew back, horrified. This was not the same girl he'd seen many times at the Temple. This was a horrific shadow of her.   
  
Her sunken eyes were filled with terror, her painfully thin legs drawn protectively to her chest. Her emaciated form was shaking almost convulsively with the force of her sobs.   
  
"Ana Majav?"   
  
She nodded and scooped her auburn hair out of her face with a trembling hand. "Is he still here?"   
  
"No," Khil assured her.   
  
He extinguished his saber and hooked it to his belt. Lisaar followed his lead. The last thing this girl needed was more threats. "I'm Master Khil and this is Lisaar. We were sent here for you. Would you like to go home?"   
  
She shuddered. "I have no home. My mother is dead; my father had me removed from the Order. I have nowhere to go."   
  
"Be that as it may," Khil said, "the Council wants us to bring you back to them. Your fate will be decided then."   
  
He knelt and helped her up. She wavered for a moment on unsteady legs, then collapsed into his arms, unconscious. A quick examination revealed lightsaber burns on her shoulder, abdomen, and legs. A gash ran down the side of her face.   
  
"I think she's had enough for one day," Khil said wryly. "Let's get her out of here."   
* * *   
Lisaar turned to see Master Khil enter. "She's strapped in."   
  
Khil nodded. "I contacted the Council. They'll want our recommendation when we return to Coruscant."   
  
"So, what is our recommendation, exactly?"   
  
Khil sat down at the table and poured a glass of water. "I like her."   
  
"You decided you like her after thirty seconds of conversation?"   
  
"I spoke with her while you were getting us into hyperspace. And I did a mind probe at her consent."   
  
"Was the Council right to put her on probation?"   
  
Khil sighed. "The Council put her on probation based on the accusations of her Master. Given the fact that that same person just killed his own wife, I'm not sure there's much credibility to anything he said."   
  
Lisaar snorted. "Unless, of course, there's something she's not telling us."   
  
"If there is, I can't detect it."   
  
"One of the Dark Arts is mind-cloaking."   
  
"Nevertheless, I'm willing to take a chance on her. I think there's more to her than we're giving her credit for."   
  
"Every time we mentioned Raver, she nearly had a panic attack. What did he do to her?"   
  
"I'm pretty sure that the wounds from the battle are just the latest. I know that Raver had a temper and, if the bruises and cuts are any indication, he often took it out on her."   
  
"How horrible to have to fear your own father."   
  
"I didn't notice it planetside, but he blinded her."   
  
Lisaar looked up sharply. "You're kidding."   
  
Khil shook his head solemnly. "It isn't permanent. Nothing a few days at the Healer's won't fix; he just weakened the muscles that focus light, so she's unable to see. She says it was one of the punishments.   
  
"I think the physical abuse was just the beginning. She has some deep emotional scarring. In these sorts of relationships, everything is punished. Did you see how malnourished she is?"   
  
Lisaar nodded solemnly. "The Council made a grave error in allowing her, forcing her to leave with him."   
  
"I agree."   
  
Khil picked up a stylus and tapped it against the table. "I'm going to recommend that she be reevaluated and placed with a new Master. Any objections?"   
  
"I suppose not," Lisaar said. "I just wish I had your confidence."   
* * *   
Ana awoke in familiar surroundings. The Jedi Temple's healing center was well known to any normal child in the Order. Her tattered robes had been removed and she was in a simple white linen shift.   
  
The two men who had rescued her were standing near the foot of the bed, speaking quietly.   
  
She recognized the elder as one of the Jedi Masters in the Temple. She had often seen him in the practica arenas, drilling saber skils into his victims by consistent brutal practice regimens. The broad smile on his narrow face and the softness in his grey eyes didn't fit with his aggressive reputation, but his stature was appropriately intimidating. He was at least a half-foot taller than her, with broad shoulders and sculpted muscles.   
  
The younger one was barely taller than she, but as strong a presence as his partner. He carried his trim frame confidently, as though he were a giant of a man.   
  
As she blinked to focus her vision, the one called Lisaar looked over.   
  
"Ah, you're finally awake. The Council will be pleased."   
  
She sat up slowly, not wanting to strain herself. "The Council wants to see me?"   
  
"You and I, specifically," Khil corrected. "I'll go find Healer Tanar so she can release you."   
  
Ana examined her body, but found no trace of the lightsaber burns other than light scarring. "How long have I been here?"   
  
"Five weeks," Lisaar said. "They had to put you on a nutrient feed to bring you out of the danger zone."   
  
Khil returned with a willowy human who completed a perfunctory examination of her and declared her suitable for release.   
  
Lisaar returned with a package. "Your robes were unsalvageable, so you were issued new ones." He handed her the bundle and turned. "We'll leave you to get showered and dressed; the Council will be seeing you in thirty minutes."   
  
Ana pushed to her feet and crossed to the refresher. She only took the time to wash her hair and cleanse her skin, relying on habit rather than luxury. She stepped out under the drying vents and wrapped a towel around her shivering form. She finally turned to the package   
on the counter. Inside was a white undertunic and beige slacks, with a light brown tunic and a knee-length dark-brown Jedi robe. A narrow belt and dark brown leather boots that reached her knees completed the package. She dressed, then braided her hair across her head.   
  
Khil was waiting outside the room. He held out her mother's lightsaber and she hesitated. "Take it," he said gently. "You may need it someday."   
  
She gripped it and hooked it to her belt. He looked her over approvingly. "Shall we be going, then?"   
  
She nodded and followed him to the Council wing. They were told to sit in the foyer and took seats. Khil must have sensed her nervousness because he glanced over and rested a hand on her arm.   
  
"Don't worry about it. What happened was not your fault."   
  
She let out her breath, unaware that she'd been holding it. "My Master nearly brought me over to the Dark Side, my mother's dead, and I used a lightsaber in violation of about twelve different Temple regulations. What part of this is not my fault?"   
  
"Your Master was your father," he countered. "Not only did he betray your trust by convincing you to follow him, he betrayed you by trying to take you away from the protection of the Light Side. Your mother is dead because of that betrayal, not because of you."   
  
"But she came there looking for me."   
  
He sighed. "She came there under direct orders from the Council to find Master Raver Majav. Her orders had nothing to do with you." He squeezed her forearm. "You're going to have to trust me on this."   
  
Her mouth twitched into a hint of a smile. "I have trouble trusting myself, much less complete strangers."   
  
He nodded and folded his arms across his chest. "I should warn you. If the Council reinstates you into the Order, I've asked for you to be my Padawan."   
  
She caught her breath, then let it out in a soft hiss. "Why?"   
  
"I've been watching you for a long time. You're a creative thinker, a studious fighter, and a steady character. I think that you will become a great Jedi Knight someday and I would be honored to lead you towards that goal."   
  
She rubbed the hollow of her throat absently. "I had no idea," she said quietly.   
  
"You always have people watching you. Mostly the Council. For Master assignments, mission assignments; when the time comes, they'll be partnering you with another Knight based on what they've seen." He smiled slightly. "It's only natural that Jedi Masters should watch you on a regular basis."   
  
"They're ready for you now," the clerk called.   
  
Ana stood and smoothed her hair back. "Do I look all right?"   
  
He smiled slightly. "You look fine."   
  
Khil caught her arm just before the entrance. "Let me do the talking unless you're questioned directly."   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
The Council chamber contained the twelve councillors' chairs set in a circle around a speaker's circle. The viewports went all around except for where the doors separating the antechamber from the Council room lay. Three durasteel and crystal beams were the only visible structural supports that kept the decorative ceiling aloft.   
  
The view of the cityscape as well as the other spires and towers of the Jedi Temple was stunning, but to focus on that rather than the matters at hand was pointless.   
  
They entered the speaker's circle and bowed in unison.   
  
Ana stood at ease, her hands limp at her sides. She was attempting to look as noncombatant as possible. She could remember being frightened of the Council members as a child because of their focused, stern expressions. Age had not yet altered that impression.   
  
Master Yoda, the most senior member of the Council at eight hundred and fifty-three, fixed a gaze on her and a smile came to his wrinkled green lips. "Glad we are to see you safe, Padawan Majav. Worried we were."   
  
Ana dipped her head respectfully to Master Yoda and glanced at Khil. He sent her a reassuring vibe, then straightened. "We found Ana Majav in a recluse on Raltiir. It would appear that when Master Saria Majav confronted Raver Majav, there was a struggle. Saria was killed   
in the process and Ana, Raver's Padawan learner, took up arms in self-defense against her Master. She was wounded several times and Raver fled to an unknown destination. We found her one day later, still unmoved from the spot, terrified to leave. She was taken to the Healers here on Coruscant and treated for her injuries."   
  
Mace Windu steepled his fingers and pressed them against his lips. "Is that all?"   
  
"Yes, Master," Khil replied.   
  
"Ana, perhaps you could explain what happened between your last appearance before the Council and the time you were retrieved by Lisaar and Master Khil."   
  
Ana took a deep breath. "As you know, I put in an appeal to the Council, claiming that I had been disciplined unfairly on false charges. I felt that my training had been compromised and that continuing my training under Master Majav would be dangerous. After the Council put me on probationary training leave, Master Majav took me to Raltiir, where he continued my training in the Dark Arts.   
  
"I resisted his efforts as best I could, but every time I defied the darkness, he would beat me." She pulled up her sleeves to show bruises and lacerations.   
  
"At one point, I tried to escape and he nearly killed me. It was then that he blinded me. About nine days later, my mother arrived and tried to reason with him. He responded by attacking her. The duel went on for nearly four hours, both with lightsabers and Force storms. My father drove his lightsaber through her throat.   
  
"She threw her lightsaber to me as he turned to attack me. I drove him off until I didn't catch a feint and he burned my shoulder. The more times you're burned, the more you're likely to get burned again. Luckily for me, he decided he'd had enough and left me to die. I   
did what I could to heal myself, but I couldn't concentrate much and I was in shock. The next day, Master Khil and Knight Lisaar showed up. The next thing I knew, I was here."   
  
Windu nodded. "We asked Master Khil for his recommendation when we received word that you'd been recovered. He recommended that you be placed with another Master. Would you like another chance at Knighthood?"   
  
Ana glanced at Master Khil once more. "Yes, Master."   
  
"You will be granted an extension in order to reevaluate you and properly partner you with a Master."   
  
"Master Windu," Khil interjected. "After careful consideration, I would like to take Ana Majav as my Padawan learner."   
  
There was a ripple of surprise and Master Yoda turned to look at her. "Agree with this, do you, Ana?"   
  
"Yes, Master."   
  
"For now, approve we do. In six weeks, come before us again you will for evaluation. May the Force be with you."   
  
Ana bowed and left the room. Once outside, she leaned against the wall and sighed in relief. Khil rested a hand on her shoulder, then pulled her under a protective arm.   
  
"May I ask what happened to your Padawan braid?"   
  
"Master Majav cut it off as soon as we reached Raltiir."   
  
Lisaar was waiting outside the Council wing. "Well?"   
  
"Lisaar, this is my new Padawan, Ana Majav."   
  
Lisaar smiled cautiously. "Congratulations. When will the Anithai be?"   
  
Ana winced. The Anithai, the formal bonding of the Master and Padawan was a blood ritual that had always frightened her, but was intrinsic to the Jedi lifestyle.   
  
"We'll be moving back into her old quarters tonight."   
  
He stepped to the side to let a Knight pass. "Which reminds me, we have a few things to do before then."   
  
"Such as?"   
  
"Getting transferred to new quarters, fixing the Padawan braid situation, and I have to go to Civilian Records and Information to get you legally transferred into my guardianship."   
  
He turned to Lisaar. "I need to be gone for several hours; could you evaluate her skills?"   
  
"Of course."   
  
"South Tower arena, Sixth Hour."   
  
He checked his chrono, then turned to Ana. "It's almost midday; where in the city do you like to eat?"   
  
"The 23rd Hour."   
  
Lisaar laughed. "You picked a winner." At Ana's look of confusion, he pulled a straight face. "Master Khil has been patronizing the 23rd Hour since it opened 25 years ago. He's been there through two Padawans, three partners, and one wife."   
  
"At any rate," Khil said sternly, narrowing his eyes at Lisaar, "shall we be going?"   
* * *   
"Born on Alderaan, obviously raised at the Temple." Ana picked at her dessert. "I was taken as a Padawan at the age of eleven."   
  
"When did the...alternate training begin?"   
  
Ana winced. "About seven months ago. I didn't realize what it was for at least a month. Two months later, we went to Raltiir." Khil glanced at Lisaar, caught his partner's somber nod.   
  
"Given four months under intensive Dark Arts training, your reliance on traditional Jedi technique is amazing. Lisaar says that you show little effects of the alternate method."   
  
He turned to Lisaar. "How are her dueling skills?"   
  
"Extraordinarily good, for her age. She's been trained in the butterfly method."   
  
Khil smiled wistfully. "Tarsan's favorite."   
  
"His wife was the Order's best butterfly saberman."   
  
Ana sat back. "I was under the impression that it was a recent method."   
  
Khil laughed. "We're not *that* old, Ana. It was developed ten years ago; Tarsan was one of the first to adopt it. Your father was another of the early ones. I assume that's where you learned it."   
  
She grimaced. "Right. He started that about a year and a half ago. For a while, he wouldn't even let me practice in the traditional method, just so I could become comfortable with the other."   
  
"A common practice for any bad habit," Lisaar teased. "I'll warn you, though. Khil doesn't know the meaning of malingering. I don't think I've ever seen him take a sick day for anything short of a skull fracture."   
  
"True enough. But Lisaar couldn't quite get used to my style and faked illness once or twice, if I'm not mistaken."   
  
Lisaar rolled his eyes. "My advice to you, Majav, is to never assume that just because weak-minded fools can be affected by Jedi mind tricks that he can."   
  
"A glowing recommendation," Khil said with a wry smile. "My advice to you is that if you don't trust yourself as you trust the Force and you trust me, you will never be able to put it into proper practice."   
  
She nodded solemnly. "I'm sure that will make sense when I'm older."   
  
"As most things will."   
* * *   
Ana sat outside the Council chambers, trying valiantly not to fidget. Khil had been arguing with the Council over their new mission for nearly an hour. She couldn't hear what was being said, but the emotions that were being broadcasted were a bit acrimonious.   
  
An aide exited through a side door and she strained to hear anything. "Not ready is she."   
  
"I think it's best that she come with me. She needs to face him, for her own sake as well as his."   
  
"You saw what happened to Saria," Master Windu countered. "We can't risk that. You must face Raver Majav alone."   
  
"Do you want her to be orphaned again?"   
  
"Better orphaned than murdered," Ki-adi-mundi countered.   
  
The door shut. The aide crossed to the reception area and handed over a datapad.   
  
"It's going to be a long day. I don't think either side is going to yield."   
  
"Master Khil is being imprudent. Taking a twelve-year-old child against someone like that is absolutely ridiculous."   
  
"Maybe it's for the best. Facing her worst adversary will be excellent training."   
  
"If it doesn't kill her."   
  
The main doors hissed open and Khil exited, a grim smile on his face. "Come, Padawan."   
  
Ana stood and followed him out. "Well?"   
  
Khil looked back at her. "You're coming with me."   
  
Ana caught up with him. "When do we leave?"   
  
"Tomorrow night." He stepped onto a balcony and turned to face her. "Ana, I have complete faith in you and your abilities. Otherwise I would not have taken you as my Padawan. But this is going to be an extraordinarily difficult mission and I won't have you coming if you don't feel that you should. So, what do you think?"   
  
She frowned deeply. "I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do, but I feel it's what I need to do." She looked up. "Is that wrong?"   
  
"Not at all. The Force has many ambiguities, which are unclear to us. It is not our place to doubt it, but to trust in it."   
* * *   
Ana slid her satchel under her assigned bunk, then wiped her palms on her slacks and stood. "All set back here."   
  
Khil appeared in the doorway. "We just made the jump to lightspeed. It'll be another seventeen hours to Raltiir. Four in meditation, seven in sleeping, two in lightsaber practice,   
and three for whatever you want."   
  
Ana narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "That adds up to sixteen."   
  
He smiled slightly. "Of course." He produced a small package from inside his robes. "Did you remember it's your birthday today?"   
  
She laughed. "As a matter of fact, I did not. I've kind of lost track of the months."   
  
He shook his head. "A pity. In any case, I found this in the Alderaani sector of Coruscant."   
  
She took the package and opened it. Inside was a delicate silver chain with an Alderaanian opal pendant.   
  
She swallowed. "I don't deserve this."   
  
Khil took the necklace and fastened it around her neck. "Most good things in life we don't entirely deserve, but we have to take them in stride. Besides," he said, "you agreed to be my Padawan. It's time I started returning the favor."   
* * *   
"Mimban."   
  
Khil turned. "Are you sure?"   
  
Ana nodded. "It's the strongest impression I'm getting."   
  
He frowned. "I think you're right."   
  
She stood and followed him out to the landspeeder. It had grown dark while they were inside and a storm had sprung up.   
  
"Spaceport, docking bay 79."   
  
They climbed in and settled in. Ana yawned. "Thirteen hours of meditation and we'll be there in less time."   
  
Khil nodded. "We got what we needed. The rest doesn't really matter."   
  
"Why do you think he's at Mimban?"   
  
"If you were a renegade Jedi Master being pursued, you'd probably go to ground." He smiled. "Mimban has the advantage of having a network of caves that are perfect for taking that phrase literally."   
  
She frowned. "I hadn't thought of that."   
  
He rested a hand on her shoulder. "The Force does follow logic, you know."   
  
"Really," she said with a small smile. "I never would have guessed."   
  
"Only occasionally." He wrapped a blanket around her shivering form. "Are you all right?"   
  
She nodded shakily. "I never wanted to see that place again. So much hatred and malicious intent. It was like being smothered."   
  
He winced. "I'm sorry I subjected you to that, but I needed your help."   
  
She sighed. "I know."   
  
"There will be a lot of things on this mission that you won't feel comfortable doing, but you are the only one I trust with them." He pulled the ends of the blanket together and smiled slightly. "Think you can do it?"   
  
She smiled wryly. "Of course. I'm a Jedi. Can't doesn't come with the vocabulary."   
* * *   
"Stay behind me. Do not speak. Do not ignite your lightsaber unless attacked. Rely on your senses for direction."   
  
Ana nodded solemnly. "Yes, Master."   
  
Khil rested a hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry. It will turn out fine."   
  
"I wish I had your confidence."   
  
Ana fell back a few paces, then followed him into the caves. Ana stretched out with the Force, allowing it to carry her movements quickly and silently. She forced herself to calm her mind and focus on her surroundings.   
  
Even with that, the hiss of the igniting lightsaber caught her off-guard. She staggered back a step.   
  
"So, you've come to be finished."   
  
Khil interposed himself between her and her father. "The only thing to be finished here is your foolishness."   
  
"I doubt that," he said, flicking his lightsaber towards her tauntingly. "She's too weak to finish anything."   
  
"We'll see."   
  
Ana kept her hands at her sides, but straightened confidently. "You've failed. I may be too weak for many things, but I am too strong to give in."   
  
Her father swung in a diagonal cut. Khil's saber intercepted it. Ana stepped back, giving them more room. Khil changed the direction of his inward sweep and angled his blade to the left and into a loop, throwing her father off-balance. He stumbled to the right, just past Khil, then drove forward into range of her.   
  
Before Khil could move, he attacked. Ana brought her saber up, igniting it just before the attack would have run her through. She leaned into the attack, firmly grounding herself in case he caught her off-guard.   
  
Khil's blade moved in between them. She heard her opponent swear violently. "Get back," Khil snapped.   
  
His brief inattention cost him ground. Her father drove his elbow straight into Khil's nose, sending him falling back into the shadows.   
  
In that moment, her father shut off his blade and his outstretched hand erupted in lightning.   
  
Ana, despite her stance, flew back into the cave wall and knew no more.   
* * *   
Khil heard her shriek and the crack as her head hit solid rock, but didn't dare distract himself.   
  
He used Majav's momentary vulnerability to intensify the attack. Majav parried easily and quickly, mixing martial arts training with traditional sabership.   
  
Khil shifted to a tight two-handed grip and dropped to one knee, angling from below to drive the lightsaber from Majav's hand.   
  
The other's saber extinguished as soon as it left his hand. Khil held his own lightsaber in a low guard position. "You don't have to do this, Raver. There are alternatives."   
  
"The only alternative is fallibility, weakness. I refuse to return to that."   
  
"I have orders to bring you back or kill you. Either way, I'm not to leave here unless your threat has been neutralized."   
  
"Then you will not leave here alive."   
  
The lightsaber flew to his hand and Khil parried the sudden thrust. He swept his leg through where Majav's ankles should be, but found only air as his opponent attempted to run him through from above.   
  
Khil rolled into a crouched position and snapped his blade diagonal to his body. Majav, not anticipating the move, fell directly onto the blade at chest level.   
  
Khil shut off his lightsaber, breathing deeply to calm himself as he watched the last life force of Raver Majav drain away.   
  
Sudden panic set in and he turned to see his Padawan crumpled against the wall. He dropped to his knees and pressed his fingers to her neck. Her pulse was weak, but it was there.   
  
Sighing in relief, he brought out his commlink and thumbed it on. "Khil to Savren."   
  
"Where in the Force *are* you?"   
  
"About a hundred kilometers to the southeast of the landing site, in the caves. I'll be out if you can't run a trace, but I need you to contact the Temple Healers."   
  
"Do you require medical assistance?"   
  
"I have a broken nose, but my Padawan is in a bad way. She was hit with Force lightning and has some severe burns. The attack threw her directly into the cave wall. I think she may have a skull fracture or at least a severe head injury and I need instructions on what to do."   
  
"Copy that." There was a pause. "I've got a connection trace on your position. We'll be at the mouth of the caves in twelve minutes."   
  
"I'll be there."   
  
"Stand by for instructions."   
  
There was a long pause, then the copilot came on. "Sir, they say to keep her flat and have us strap her to one of the medevac stretchers with her head immobilized. For now, put her into a healing trance and stop the bleeding."   
  
"Thank you. I will be outside."   
  
Eleven minutes later, he led the navigator into the caves and loaded her onto the stretcher as gently as possible. The navigator began the trek back to the surface, then turned.   
  
"Sir, aren't you coming?"   
  
"In a minute, Lieutenant. Get her strapped in and I'll be out shortly."   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
Khil turned back and picked up Raver's lightsaber. He dropped into a meditative pose for a few minutes, then saluted Raver and turned to head back to Coruscant.   
* * *   
Lisaar sighed heavily. "I knew I shouldn't have told her that you wouldn't allow a sick day for anything short of a skull fracture."   
  
Khil snorted. "I hardly think she intended it."   
  
Lisaar smiled. "I know. When will she be awake?"   
  
"Since our newfound allies, the Thyferrans, made it possible for her to get dunked in bacta as soon as she got onboard, shortly."   
  
Lisaar shook his head. "Amazing."   
  
Khil nodded. "I hear you got a new partner."   
  
"Lanje Thian."   
  
"I've heard of her. She's a good warrior."   
  
"I've only known her six days."   
  
"Touché," Khil conceded. He tilted his chin. "I assume the irate young woman storming towards us is she?"   
  
The petite, flaxen-haired woman stopped in front of Lisaar, her delicate jaw set firmly, and bowed sharply to Khil.   
  
"Master Khil, an honor to meet you."   
  
He bowed. "Likewise."   
  
She shoved an index finger into Lisaar's breastbone. "This has got to stop."   
  
Khil folded his arms, his eyes crinkling in amusement. "What's he done now?"   
  
"Pranks," she spat. "Two days running."   
  
Khil laughed. "Get used to them. Until Lisaar here grows up, we'll never be rid of that particular scourge."   
  
She threw up her hands. "So I have to put up with him until Tatooine freezes over."   
  
Lisaar grinned. "Basically."   
  
She turned a glare on him. "What degenerate Sithspawn trained you?"   
  
Lisaar rested a hand on Khil's shoulder. "Him, actually."   
  
She pursed her lips. "I'll try not to hold that against you, Master."   
  
"Glad to hear that."   
  
She stepped back. "I'll be in the South Tower training arena. Be there in twenty minutes or I'll have to come after you."   
  
She stalked off and Lisaar grimaced. "Ladies and gentleman, Lanje Thian."   
  
Khil turned to him with a grin. "You like her."   
  
"Is it that obvious?"   
  
"Painfully so."   
  
His commlink sounded. He retrieved it and thumbed it on. "Khil."   
  
"Tanar here. Ana Majav has regained consciousness and is asking for you."   
  
"Thank you. I'll be there shortly."   
  
He turned off the commlink and smiled at Lisaar. "Try not to drive her out of the Order, will you?"   
  
"Yes, Master."   
  
He turned on his heel and headed back to the medcenter. Tanar gestured him into the room. "She's tired, so I can only allow a few minutes."   
  
"I'll keep that in mind."   
  
Ana stirred as he entered and offered a weak smile. "Well," she whispered. "I wasn't expecting this."   
  
"How are you feeling?"   
  
"Fried," she retorted. "Is he dead?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
She grimaced. "I know I shouldn't be glad for that, but I can't help it. He can't do any more damage."   
  
Khil nodded and sat next to her. "I talked to the Council yesterday, for the six-week evaluation, and we're official."   
  
She nodded wearily. "Thank the Force."   
  
"We don't have any missions any time soon, so when you're released tomorrow, I'm focusing strictly on the non-physical side of the Force."   
  
She smiled. "Wimp."   
  
"For that, you're spending tomorrow in meditation."   
  
She sighed. "Not much of a threat."   
  
"Nevertheless, it stands." He stood. "For now, I'll let you get your rest."   
  
He turned to go and reached the door before her voice stopped him.   
  
"Master?"   
  
He turned. "Yes?"   
  
"Thank you."   
  
  
  
  
  
  



	2. Default Chapter Title

Part 1  
PART I   
FROM THE DEPTHS   
  
"The guilty of Gehenna do not remember their names."   
~The Zohar Haddash   
  
43 YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF ENDOR   
  
  
CHAPTER 1   
  
"It's a mediating mission to Pakrik Minor."   
  
Ana frowned. Despite working on her patience skills, she still hated all mediating missions. They tended to be long, dull, and she was rarely allowed to do anything but observe.   
  
Khil caught her disheartened expression and grinned. "Don't worry. Sceri and Master Arhan are accompanying us as well. You'll have someone to share your misery."   
  
Ana had to smile at that. Sceri Aturin, a mischievous sixteen-year-old from Raltiir, had been her best friend and accomplice for the last three years. Despite their vastly different appearances, they were known to many as the Twin Teasers.   
  
"When do we leave?"   
  
"Tomorrow morning." He tossed her a datapad. "I have all the information you'll need to know on there; I want a lecture from you on it as soon as we hit hyperspace."   
  
Her eyes crinkled in amusement. "You'll do anything to get out of learning mission material, won't you."   
  
He tossed her a datapack. "For that, you have the privilege of doing the political briefing as well."   
  
She slumped back in the chair. "I should have known."   
  
He smiled slightly. "You should know better than to show impatience."   
  
She narrowed her eyes. "Of course; you've been doing this to me for three years. I don't think it's working."   
  
He smirked. "By the time I give you your next haircut at your Knighting, you will be the most patient person in the Temple."   
  
"A Jedi feels no smugness," she quipped. "For that, you get to take the political briefing."   
  
She tossed the datapack to him and he caught it with a grin. "Very clever, Padawan."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
"Will we be back in time for the Temple games?"   
  
"Unless something goes catastrophically wrong, yes."   
  
He peered out the window into the gathering darkness. "What do you know? The first snow of the season."   
  
Ana crossed to his side and squinted. "The first blizzard, you mean. You know what this means, don't you?"   
  
He grinned. "Race you to the balcony?"   
  
She bolted for the door. "If you think you can catch up."   
* * *   
Khil tossed her a towel. "You are incorrigible."   
  
"You're just mad that I got snow down your back."   
  
"I'm not mad. I passed that point when I shoved you into that rather large pile of snow."   
  
She rolled her eyes. "Typical male response to indignity."   
  
Ana toweled off her auburn hair, then slung it over her shoulder. She ran her fingers from root to tip, removing the snarls, then quickly fashioned it into one thick braid running down her back. She then twisted it into a bun and pinned it into place.   
  
"We should eat some time."   
  
"As soon as you're finished with your wet T-shirt contest, we can go."   
  
She blushed and pulled her drenched robe around her. He grinned. She was still a bit self-conscious of the fact that since her fifteenth birthday she'd grown from an awkward-looking adolescent to a well-developed young woman. She'd grown five inches, lost some weight, and filled out other parts of her figure.   
  
"If you'll excuse me, I'll go get changed."   
  
Five minutes later, she emerged in a fresh set of robes. Khil tossed her an overcloak and she pulled it on. "We should invite Sceri and Master Arhan."   
  
"Already done," he reported. "They'll be meeting us in the street level foyer as soon as we get down there."   
  
She fastened the clasps on her midnight blue cloak and followed him to the turbolift. "How long is it to Pakrik?"   
  
"Four days, give or take a few hours." He pressed the button and the doors slid close. "Plenty of time for you to perfect your recall skills."   
  
"As usual."   
  
He smiled. "There's going to be a bit of a change this time around. Ahran and I have decided that it's time that you and Sceri started taking a more active role in the mission. You'll be mediating some of the negotiations yourselves." He smiled enigmatically. "*All* by yourselves."   
  
Her jaw dropped open. "Really?"   
  
He shrugged, a smile tugging at the edges of his lips. "It had to happen sometime."   
  
She launched herself into his arms and gave him a tight embrace, then broke away as the turbolift doors hissed open.   
  
Sceri was waiting near the guard station. At least four inches shorter than Ana, she was more delicately built. Her fine gold hair was pulled back into a complicated twisted plait wrapping around her head. A few strands had worked their way loose from the plait and curled softly around her heart-shaped face. She broke into a grin as they approached and locked him with a sapphire stare just before she bowed.   
  
"Master Ahran will be here in a moment."   
  
"Glad to hear it."   
  
Ana crossed to her friend and embraced her quickly. "It's been too long," she quipped.   
  
"Three hours seems like an eternity," Sceri agreed. "Ahran tells me we're going to be corrupting the old together on the mission. You ready to make some mischief?"   
  
Ana laughed. "As always."   
* * *   
Ana inhaled deeply, letting the cloying bouquet of the Pakrik air fill her nostrils. Her first breath on a new world was always her favorite moment of a mission.   
  
Sceri linked her arm through Ana's and moved onto the tarmac. "It's a beautiful world."   
  
"Or at least the spaceport is," Ana rejoined.   
  
"We need to wreak some havoc."   
  
Ana pulled a face. "Adventure. Heh. Excitement. Heh. A Jedi craves not these things."   
  
Sceri burst into light laughter at her perfect impression of Master Yoda. "Ana Majav," she said in a grave tone that matched Ki-adi-mundi's perfectly, "with a reckless attitude like that, you will never attain the status of the great Jedi Knight your heritage destined you to become."   
  
Khil rested a hand on her shoulder. "If you don't stop this, I'll tell the Council that you're imitating them."   
  
"As if they'd care," Sceri muttered. "With wars, injustice, and political temper tantrums going on in the Galaxy, the matters of good-natured disrespect will not be the Council's primary concern."   
  
Ana grinned and punched her fist into the air. "APATHY NOW!"   
  
"I assume you are the Jedi sent to negotiate the treaty?"   
  
Ana's arm dropped and she blushed fiercely. Khil dug his nails into her shoulder, then turned and bowed to the diminutive woman at their left. Ana, Sceri, and Master Ahran followed suit.   
  
Ahran stepped forward. "I am Master Larin Ahran and this is my Padawan, Sceri Aturin. Beside her is Master Sah Khil and his Padawan, Ana Majav."   
  
The woman returned the bow. "I am Saner Tharan."   
  
Ana pulled a straight face. Saner Tharan was the most notable of the freedom fighters who were trying to develop the Pakrik Minor sovereignty.   
  
Khil nodded. "An honor to meet you, madam."   
  
She smiled. "We are glad that we will finally be able to negotiate the annexation of our world from the system's oligarchy. It is only fitting that the Jedi be here to help the process."   
  
She gestured to a waiting landspeeder. "If you will come with me, I will take you to your accommodations."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
Khil and Ahran sent them identical glares, then guided them to the speeder. Ana climbed into the rear section next to Sceri and they waited until the speeder was under way before Ahran spoke.   
  
"You must learn to control your temperaments better. The fact that you are still adolescents is no excuse. In less than a decade, you will be given stewardship over yourselves as Jedi Knights. Do not sacrifice that stewardship by stupidity now. Understood?"   
  
Ana blushed and Sceri fidgeted. "Yes, Master."   
* * *   
"There's a danger that the negotiations will be sabotaged, but the Pakriks have been fortifying the complex against such an eventuality."   
  
Ana rubbed her temples. "I don't even want to think about that."   
  
Khil nodded. "None of us do. Every person at this conference is thinking, 'not on my watch.'"   
  
"Speaking of which," Ahran interjected, "you two are taking over tomorrow. We'll be monitoring from afar, but you will be almost entirely independent of our influence."   
  
Sceri grinned. "That's a calming thought. So if someone decides to attack the conference, you'll have to make it through the bureaucracy to be our backup."   
  
Khil nodded. "That's about the scope of things."   
  
She shrugged. "No problem, we can handle it."   
  
Khil laughed. "Never doubted you for a second."   
  
Ana gripped her elbows and chewed at the inside of her cheek. "I'm concerned, Master. I've been going over some of the material we were given in conjunction with present fact and there are some discrepancies. I have reason to think there may be something going on behind the scenes."   
  
Ahran frowned. "Put it into a report and Khil and I will review it later. There's nothing more we can do tonight."   
* * *   
An explosion rocked the chamber. Ana was sent flying back into what remained of a viewport. Had there been any breath left in her body, she would have screamed, but the impact had knocked the wind out of her.   
  
She slid to the floor, gasping for breath. The impact had clearly cracked a few ribs and every movement was intensely painful.   
  
Screams rebounded throughout the room, few in number, but appalling nonetheless. She pushed to her knees and crawled towards the nearest cries.   
  
A man lay half-buried under a collapsed table. She pulled herself up and threw her back into the effort of uncovering him.   
  
The table fell to the side and she knelt next to him. She opened a mindlink and focused on identifying the injuries. She stabilized him enough for him to survive the wait for the medics, then moved on.   
  
A secondary explosion occurred and she curled into a ball, shielding her face from the falling debris. Her defenses crumpled and, as she attempted to rise, she was hammered to the floor by a section of ceiling. Something in her leg snapped and she gasped in pain.   
  
A message. She had to call for help. She had to reach Khil or Ahran or someone in the outside world.   
  
She pushed to her knee and dragged herself along towards the comm center. She moved debris from the center with one arm, hugging the other to her chest protectively, then slumped against it.   
  
An arm caught her eye. She unbent her other arm and, ignoring the searing pain any movement caused her, removed the debris slowly. Saner Tharan stared sightlessly at the ceiling, her mouth slightly open.   
  
Ana let out her breath and braced her forehead against the comm console. She fumbled for the transmission switch, but found nothing but crumpled metal and live wires.   
  
She recoiled, clutching her scorched hand. _This is ridiculous._   
  
"Sceri," she croaked weakly. "Anyone?"   
  
There was no answer and she collapsed onto her side, breathing shallowly.   
  
She tried to summon her concentration enough to reach out through the Force to Master Khil, but pain was clouding her senses too much. She caught her breath, then closed her eyes and stretched out.   
  
Either he was too frantic or she didn't have the strength, but she couldn't seem to get through to him. She sent out one final message, then succumbed to the darkness.   
  
CHAPTER 2   
  
"What do you mean you can't find them?"   
  
"Exactly that. We've been able to identify most of the bodies in the conference room; the others will need osteoanalysis for that, but for now, there's no sign of them."   
  
Khil sat down hard. "Injured people don't walk away by themselves."   
  
"That's why we believe they are among the bodies yet to be identified. If not..."   
  
"We want to be notified as soon as those identifications are finished."   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
The attaché shuffled out and Ahran turned from the viewport. Her trembling jaw and moist eyes betrayed the sentiments he himself was feeling. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself and she was slightly hunched forward as if she were about to be sick.   
  
They'd both been up for more than two days, waiting for any news of their Padawans. Whatever semblance of composure they'd had at the beginning had evaporated. This was physically evident in Ahran's appearance. Her robes were slightly rumpled, her jet-black curls in disarray, and her eyes haunted.   
  
"I know she's alive," Ahran whispered. "I don't know how, but I know that she's out there somewhere. I would have felt her die."   
  
Khil nodded. "I believe you. I could have sworn I felt Ana contact me, but when I tried to reestablish the link, I got nothing."   
  
Ahran nodded. "So, what do we do?"   
  
"We wait for the identifications; we report back to the Council. We go on with our daily lives until there *is* something that we can do." He bit his lip. "I don't like it any more than you do, but we have to operate for now on the assumption that our Padawans are dead."   
  
Ahran nodded. "You sound like you've done this before."   
  
He stared at the floor for a long moment, then met her gaze. "Yes. My wife was missing for five weeks before they confirmed her death and by the time I heard, Ana and I were on our way to the Anithai. I had no time to dwell on my sorrows while she was missing or after they found her."   
  
Ahran sucked in her breath. "Oh," she said quietly. "I didn't know."   
  
"Most people don't," he countered.   
  
He turned and removed his robe. "I'm going to sleep for now. When they find her, it won't do her any good to have a brain-dead Master."   
* * *   
Ana awoke to darkness. Her arm and leg were roughly splinted, her wounds bandaged. It seemed as though someone had simply jerked the bones back into place, attached them to a bar, and given her some sort of local anesthetic for the entire thing.   
  
"You shouldn't think yourself lucky to be alive."   
  
She recoiled at the voice that came from somewhere to her left. The movement caused her to curl in pain, gasping.   
  
"Where am I?"   
  
"The place is immaterial. No one will ever find you here. You can be assured of that."   
  
"I am of the Jedi Order. You are taking great risks keeping me here."   
  
Someone bludgeoned her over the head, snapping it to the side. "I don't care if you're the Supreme Chancellor or a street rat. You are our prisoner and you and your friend will do whatever we see fit."   
  
Ana caught her breath. *Sceri?*   
  
"Why," she whispered.   
  
"Because you may yet be of some use to us. If not, you will die a long and painful death for your silence."   
  
"I have nothing to reveal," she croaked. "Leave us be and we won't press charges."   
  
A hand traced the line of her body and she shuddered deeply. "You see, Majav, we are here to ensure that you never live to press charges."   
  
She narrowed her eyes. "I was right about the conspiracy, wasn't I."   
  
"Unfortunately for you, yes." A breath at her ear, then he spoke again. "Which means, you will be here until we find ways to make you forget."   
  
She elbowed back directly into his nose and rolled to her feet. He caught her fractured wrist and punched her in the eye hard enough to fell a grown man. She crumpled, holding her face.   
  
"Don't expect to pull that and live," he snapped.   
  
She kicked up into his groin and vaulted to her feet. He backhanded her, then drove the heel of his hand into her throat.   
  
"I will not kill you now only because it is not the time, but you have to understand that the first rule of this camp is that no matter what you do, you'll suffer. It's your job to minimize it as much as possible."   
* * *   
"Sorry we are, but continue you must."   
  
Khil nodded. "The negotiations should be over shortly. I will be returning as soon as the identifications are completed."   
  
"May the Force be with you."   
  
Khil bowed and shut off the comm system. There was a knock at the door. He crossed to the door and opened it.   
  
"Pardon me, sir, but the identifications of all remains found in the ruins have been identified."   
  
Ahran appeared at his side. "No Ana Majav or Sceri Aturin, right?"   
  
The aide nodded. "I'm not sure how to explain it."   
  
"I do," Khil growled. "Ana suspected a conspiracy and prepared a report on it. Someone must have found out and bombed the conference to keep her quiet. When she didn't die, they took her and Sceri prisoner."   
  
Ahran nodded. "Plausible explanation, but how did they get them out?"   
  
"There was a time frame of almost five hours when a two-person radiation crew was the only group in there. One of them died suddenly from exposure."   
  
"Or so they say," Ahran commented. "Who was the other person?"   
  
The aide frowned. "Tas Machal."   
  
"Has he been seen since then?"   
  
The aide shook his head. "He took a sudden leave for health reasons."   
  
Ahran smiled grimly. "I think we've found our perpetrator."   
  
"Possibly," Khil said. "I don't think he'll be returning, however. Is the spaceport still closed?"   
  
The aide nodded. "Wherever they are, there's a good chance they're still on the planet."   
  
Khil let out his breath. "Great; that only leaves an entire planet to search."   
  
Ahran nodded. "It's a start. We should contact the Council with this development, see if they have any suggestions."   
* * *   
"They've left us for dead."   
  
Ana started. "Who said that?"   
  
"Who do you think," Sceri said sourly.   
  
Ana grinned painfully around her split lip. "I *thought* you were alive."   
  
"As if they could kill either one of us easily." She sighed. "What did they do to you?"   
  
"Interrogation," Ana admitted. "Then, when I wouldn't yield, they tried to beat it out of me."   
  
Sceri made a slightly strangled noise, then let out her breath. "Don't you hate being right?"   
  
"Absolutely," Ana said.   
  
She hesitated. "And you? What happened?"   
  
There was a pause. "They made me watch," Sceri said in a strained voice. "They thought if I saw you in enough pain, I'd convince you to cooperate."   
  
Ana sucked in her breath. "I'm sorry."   
  
"If only I'd surrendered to their will. I've never seen anything like that. It was like a beast of burden being broken. How could you go through that?"   
  
Ana was silent for a long moment, her chest heaving with silent sobs. "I don't know what they want," she protested. "They won't tell me what they want. They just ask me for every detail of that report over and over again, as if it will change some time.   
  
"I didn't know if any of it was true. I just knew that someone was setting up Tharan from inside the system. I was afraid that they'd ruin the peace accords."   
  
There was a rustle and then the sound of someone dragging herself across a floor. Sceri's hand landed on her splinted arm.   
  
"I won't leave you alone. We've done everything else together; no reason why either of us should suffer alone, is there?"   
  
Ana laughed and lifted her arm to hug Sceri. She caught the arm and lifted her into an embrace.   
  
"Don't worry," Sceri said quietly. "You're stronger than the both of us put together; you'll figure out a way to outlive their purpose for you."   
  
CHAPTER 3   
  
"This reminds me of my Raltiir," Ana commented.   
  
"Why?"   
  
"I spent seven months in the same hovel while my father tried to turn me into a Dark Jedi. It was exactly like this; if I didn't cooperate, he'd starve me or beat me. He even blinded me for the last four months. It was almost the worst time of my life."   
  
"What's worse than that?"   
  
Ana turned her head towards Sceri's voice. "Then I didn't have someone suffering through it with me."   
  
Sceri coughed violently. "I'm sorry."   
  
"Please, don't be. It's entirely my fault."   
  
Another coughing fit followed. Ana rolled onto the floor and half-crawled to Sceri's side. "Are you all right?"   
  
"I've been better," her friend admitted.   
  
Ana pressed a hand to her forehead, felt the heat of the fever. "Oh, Sith," she whispered. "You're sick."   
  
"It's just a reaction to the drugs they gave me. They tried to put me out of my mind. I haven't had the strength of Force to counteract it."   
  
Ana focused, drawing the fever out and cleansing the system. "Better?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
Ana rested her head against her friend's side. "We're quite the pair, aren't we."   
  
"Always have been."   
  
Ana gripped her hand. "I'm going to put you into a healing trance. We both need it."   
* * *   
Khil traced a finger over the spaceport's listings. *Nothing.*   
  
"Wasn't there a ship that was sent for auxiliary help?"   
  
"Yes, to Sluis Van."   
  
"Sithspawn," Khil said quietly. "Ahran, they're not on-planet."   
  
"Machal didn't have passage on that ship," another said.   
  
"Maybe not, but he and his two prisoners were there somehow. I know it."   
  
He brought out his commlink. "Khil here."   
  
"Yes, sir?"   
  
"We'll be leaving promptly for Sluis Van shipyards. Master Ahran and I will be at the ship in a few minutes."   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
Ahran followed him out. "Now where would they be?"   
  
Khil frowned. "There's no safe place to hide at the shipyards. My guess is that they're somewhere where no one would suspect a man with two prisoners."   
  
"Kessel or the Ziost camps?"   
  
He shuddered. "I hope not, but I'm willing to bet that's where they are. We'll spend a day meditating at Sluis Van, trying to discern which, then head out after them."   
  
She smiled wryly. "I don't suppose you're going to notify the Council?"   
  
"No," he said firmly. "We can't risk someone knowing where we're going."   
  
"Ah," she said. "The great wisdom of the Master."   
* * *   
Ana was awakened by an undulating scream. She curled into a ball, expecting an assault, but only heard more screams. She tried to rise and only then noticed that the was shackled to a chair.   
  
A light flickered on, piercing her skull with its brightness. It struck her that it was the first time she'd seen anything since she'd been here.   
  
A vaguely familiar face, that of the man she'd suspected to be leading the conspiracy, came into focus.   
  
"I realized something a few days ago. It is not your friend who needs persuading. It is you."   
  
"You will never succeed either way."   
  
He struck her across the jaw. She heard the crack of the bone and she involuntarily bit down on her tongue. Her mouth filled with blood.   
  
He stepped aside and Ana could see Sceri curled against a far wall, face buried in her knees. She was the source of the blood curdling howling that Ana had heard before. She was stripped of her robes and dressed in a ragged linen shift, exposing her bruised and bleeding arms and legs.   
  
"There are some rare cases where in response to a level-3 narcotic interrogation, a rapid degeneration of the faculties can take place. Your friend seems to be the victim of that rarity."   
  
Ana spit the blood at him. "What's your point?"   
  
"I know she's your best friend. You can watch her go mad or save her and yourself."   
  
"By treason," she retorted.   
  
"To your own thinking, perhaps."   
  
"And if I don't?"   
  
"She dies a very tortured death and we next start the process on you."   
  
Ana blinked back tears futilely. "Don't do this to her. She had nothing to do with this whole mess."   
  
"She is an accomplice to evil." He seized Ana by the chin and pressed a knife to her throat. "You are very close to outliving your purpose to me."   
  
"You are very close to being found. My Master will have figured out where you are by now, based on your shoddy evasion skills. I suggest you don't make things worse."   
  
He raised the blade and with a swift movement, tore the left side of her face open.   
  
"It will take more than that," she snapped.   
  
"I'm sure it will, but this is just the beginning of your nightmares."   
* * *   
Khil settled deep into a meditation trance, opening his senses to the living Force.   
  
A wave of mixed emotions slammed into his mine. Ambition, fear, anger, and a small measure of compassion. He tried to tap further into that stream of consciousness to sense intentions, but he wasn't deep enough into the trance to sense such complex things.   
  
He settled deeper into the trance, blocking off absolutely everything except Machal's Force residue.   
  
"Oh, Sith."   
  
Khil turned to look at Ahran. She had her trembling fist pressed to her mouth, her face ashen.   
  
"You felt something."   
  
She nodded. "I just lost sense of Sceri. She's not dead, but she has no presence."   
  
Khil stood and took her gently by the shoulders. "Where are they?"   
  
She gazed up at him. "Ziost VII."   
  
"Are you sure?"   
  
She nodded shakily. "Please, let's go before we lose both of them."   
  
CHAPTER 4   
  
"Please stop. The fire, the heat. I can't take it anymore. He's destroying this entire place with his madness."   
  
Ana held Sceri close, listening to her delirious rambling. At first, it had been pure evidence of her deepening psychosis. As the days progressed and she sunk deeper into the madness, her words had become eerily prophetic and clear. It was as though the midichlorians in a desperate attempt to save their host, were blasting with every influence of the Force that they could...   
  
And losing.   
  
The madness fluctuated between violent fits and this. Ana wasn't sure what to be more terrified by. She tried to touch Sceri's mind through what was left of the Force in her friend's deranged mind, but it was an exercise in futility.   
  
Sceri suddenly broke away and crawled away. "I can't take this any more." She glared at Ana, her ice blue eyes unfocused and terror-filled. "Can't you do *anything?*"   
  
Ana hugged herself tightly. "I'm sorry. I've tried."   
  
"You've done everything but what was right," Sceri screeched. "You are the servant of the shadows. You blind the rest of us so you can live. You watch our destruction and do nothing because of the darkness left in your mind."   
  
She seized her lightsaber and ignited. Ana shied back; she'd been unaware of the fact that their sabers had been in the room. Probably a strategic placement.   
  
"Stop this," Ana commanded. "I can't do anything for you. I can't do anything against you."   
  
"You're right," Sceri snapped.   
  
She raised the saber and, for a moment, Ana was terrified that she'd try to kill her.   
  
Instead, she deactivated the weapon. Ana staggered to her feet and limped towards her friend, hoping to seize the weapon before Sceri could change her mind. Sceri drove her back with a well-placed kick, then placed the hilt of her saber against her forehead and ignited the saber.   
  
Ana was too stunned to speak or even scream. She sat, staring at the lifeless form of her best friend, rocking back and forth with her hands on her shoulders. Finally, the shock passed and she slumped to the floor, weeping like a lost child.   
* * *   
There were no days or nights in a prison, only minutes and hours. Whatever time Ana spent outside of her cell was taken up by interrogations.   
  
They no longer bothered with questions. She sensed that they were now more concerned with breaking her spirit, hoping their ploy would work twice.   
  
But she would not allow it to happen again.   
  
What little time she spent asleep was filled with nightmares and disembodied voices. Her waking hours were a combination of interrogations and deep meditation.   
  
She figured that if she were to avoid the same fate as Sceri, she would have to focus her energy on something other than her current situation.   
  
She had no idea how long her tenure as a prisoner was; she imagined she truly didn't want to know. She only wanted to leave this place.   
  
They still had not removed Sceri's body and the stench of decaying flesh was a constant reminder of what she might become.   
  
As if she could forget.   
* * *   
"Today, you join the regular prisoner population. You will remain there until we decide your fate."   
  
Hands hauled Ana to her feet and shoved her forward. She stumbled, her legs still too weak to support even her emaciated frame. She caught herself and forced herself to move on, knowing that if she stopped, they would not hesitate to kill her.   
  
She was half-led, half-shoved to a dimly lit room full of prisoners' clothing. A middle-aged woman looked up as they entered and narrowed her eyes.   
  
"They're taking them younger every day, aren't they."   
  
"She is being sent into the mines. Outfit her accordingly."   
  
The guards shoved her to her knees, then left. She tried to stand, but was unable.   
  
The woman crossed to Ana and gently helped her to her feet. "Don't mind them."   
  
"I try not to," Ana countered.   
  
"How old are you?"   
  
"Sixteen, Madame."   
  
"And your name?"   
  
"Ana Majav."   
  
The woman looked her over. "You are not suited for the mines. Perhaps they would allow you to be my assistant."   
  
Ana grimaced. "I was a Jedi apprentice before coming here. They would not waste such a valuable talent in uniform distribution."   
  
"It is odd that they should risk the anger of the Jedi to keep a sixteen-year-old girl quiet."   
  
Ana let out her breath between clenched teeth. "They don't seem to care about angering anyone."   
  
"True."   
  
Ana took the proffered boots and jumpsuit and stripped off her ragged shift. She pulled on the jumpsuit, adjusting the straps and belt to cinch it tight around her diminished form. The boots encased her legs to mid-thigh.   
  
She brushed at the jumpsuit and grimaced. "It's not the height of fashion, but it will do."   
  
The woman smiled slightly. "True." She gripped Ana's arms. "Don't anger the guards or even your fellow prisoners. You cannot tell who is your enemy."   
  
"I am here for unknown reasons; everything I do angers them." She pressed her hands to her abdomen, then turned away. "I do not doubt that I will die elsewhere, but I do know that there is much more suffering to be experienced before I will see the stars again."   
  
CHAPTER 5   
  
Khil bowed to the Council. "You must understand why I objected to returning to Coruscant. We have found where Sceri Aturin and Ana Majav may be. We were on our way to find them when we were recalled."   
  
"For a reason recalled you were."   
  
Ki-adi-mundi cleared his throat. "A worker at Ziost VII contacted us about Ana Majav. She's been sent into the mines because of her gift in the Force."   
  
"And Sceri Aturin?"   
  
Depa Billaba shook her head. "Our contact isn't sure what happened, but Sceri is most definitely dead."   
  
Khil bowed his head and inhaled deeply, not trusting himself enough to look up. "In that case, Masters, why am I here?"   
  
"We wish to send a team to Ziost VII and we'd prefer that neither you nor Master Ahran be involved."   
  
"What?!"   
  
"We feel it's best for the both of you."   
  
Khil jabbed a finger skyward. "Somewhere in the worst prison camp yet recorded in history, my Padawan is suffering and possibly even dying and you don't think she could use a familiar face?"   
  
"It's a precarious situation."   
  
He snorted. "You don't have to tell me that." He let his hand drop. "Please, don't take us off this mission. I sense how it is handled will be important in Ana's future and I don't trust any other person with that responsibility. I will go after her, with or without Council approval."   
  
Masters Windu and Yoda exchanged exasperated glances. Yoda shook his head slowly, then let out a great sigh.   
  
"Very well. To Ziost you will go."   
* * *   
Ana rolled as she hit ground, narrowly missing another attack from the outraged guard. She crossed her arms above her head and caught the butt of the blaster rifle on the next swing and, twisting her arms, wrenched it from the guard's grip.   
  
She rose and threw the rifle to the side. The guard bludgeoned her across the face, driving her to the ground.   
  
"I've done nothing," she protested.   
  
"You are a thief."   
  
"You cannot prove that," she snapped.   
  
"Such insolence," the guard snorted. He held up a hand and two others caught her under the arms. "Take her to the lashing post."   
  
Ana stifled a gasp. _Not again._   
  
They bound her wrists to two posts near the entrance of this particular shaft. Just enough light entered the room to allow anyone in to see the ordeal.   
  
Her tunic was rent in two and removed. Ana stood tall, unwilling to show any form of weakness. She could see the others' disbelieving stares.   
  
The hum of a force-whip behind her preceded the first lash. Searing pain rippled across her back and neck. Blood sprayed into her face, but she stayed upright until the tenth blow.   
  
Her knees buckled, letting her wrists strain against the bonds. She struggled upright, only to be driven forward by more lashes.   
  
"One more guard," he called. "This one needs more persuasion."   
  
Ana raised her head and spat blood at him. "It will take more than that."   
  
"Undoubtedly. We will see."   
* * *   
"If you would only submit, you would not suffer so."   
  
Ana squeezed her eyes shut as Haran, one of the few female prisoners, cleaned the wounds. "I submit to nothing but the Force," she said hoarsely.   
  
"You will die for your insolence."   
  
"Perhaps."   
  
Haran sighed. "You are incorrigible. I have watched you for almost two weeks. You bear yourself as though you were a sovereign, not a slave."   
  
"I am no slave," Ana snapped. "I was born into a noble heritage and destined to serve the Galaxy for the rest of my life willingly and in the name of justice."   
  
"Even the Jedi are not immortal."   
  
"I know that all too well," she said quietly.   
  
"Why are you here?"   
  
"I found out too much about a conspiracy. They took me and my best friend here to keep us quiet. She was driven into madness and killed herself. I am here until I meet a similar fate or am rescued."   
  
"Don't hold your breath," Haran snorted. "I've been here five years and have had no such deliverance."   
  
Ana shuddered. "I don't expect I'll live that long. I am nothing more than a child."   
  
Haran rested a hand on her shoulder. "You are much greater than you give yourself credit for. You are surviving Ziost VII; that is more than most people can claim." She set down the cloth and wrapped Ana in a threadbare blanket. "I'm sorry I cannot bandage it, but there are no supplies."   
  
Ana pushed into a sitting position and pulled the blanket tighter around her bare shoulders. "We do what we can. Thank you."   
  
Haran tossed her a tunic. "I swear, you go through more of these than the guards go through brain cells."   
  
Ana caught the tunic and pulled it over her head. "Not entirely my fault, you know."   
  
Haran ran a hand along her shoulder. "Stay strong and hold your tongue. You'll escape this place, if nothing else, to bring your strength to others."   
  
CHAPTER 6   
  
Ana awoke to find herself lashed to the posts again. The pressure against her ribs from hanging limp against the restraints was almost suffocating, but she did not have the strength to pull herself up into a more comfortable position.   
  
Machal was standing before her, a disgusted look on his face. "We brought you here to silence you; we put you in the mines so that you would serve a useful purpose before you succumbed to death. You have done neither."   
  
"I am pleased with my failure," Ana retorted. "Your purposes are evil; by succumbing to you, I would be acknowledging that evil has a greater power and I cannot do that."   
  
"Such defiance for a child," he snorted.   
  
"It is not defiance to protect justice," she said.   
  
Machal struck her across the face, then drove his knee into her abdomen. She sagged more towards the ground, and a well-placed kick snapped her head back. This time, her fall towards the ground dislocated both shoulders. She caught her breath and forced herself to stand on unsteady legs.   
  
"She is of no use to us," Machal snapped. "Take her back to isolation to die."   
* * *   
"We'd like to negotiate the release of two prisoners."   
  
Corneia, the hatchet-faced, hard-hearted commander of Ziost VII, set his jaw and eyed them warily.   
  
"All Ziost VII prisoners are dangers to society and themselves. I don't think that you honestly want them."   
  
"I don't think you understand," Ahran said coldly. Her hand passed across in a slight gesture. "We are here to negotiate for the release of two prisoners. We will pay you ten thousand dactaries for each of them and you will release them into our custody without question. Where can we find Tas Machal?"   
  
"We have no one of that name here."   
  
Khil seized the commander by the arm and pulled him away from the desk. "Watch him."   
  
He scanned through the lists, stopping at the isolation block, which was encrypted. He closed his eyes, sensing the imprint of the sequence and tapped it in.   
  
"Where is isolation?"   
  
"You aren't allowed access to those..."   
  
Khil held up his saber. "Don't make us resort to persuasion, Commander."   
  
The Commander blinked once, twice, then grinned. "If you'll just follow me..."   
  
Ahran fell in step with him and they followed Corneia down dark corridors and winding staircases.   
  
"My apologies for the inconvenience, but we don't use turbolifts anywhere here. For interrogation to be most effective, there has to be as little contact with reality. Apparently, if they hear something that ties them to the outside world, they are more resistant."   
  
Khil sucked in his breath. "Commander, we are here to rescue two prisoners; unless you'd like to join the dead this prison has produced, spare us the details."   
  
He stopped before a door and punched in a code. He then bent down to let it scan his retina. The door hissed open and he beckoned them through.   
  
Five more minutes of corridors led them to another unmarked door. Corneia opened the door and flicked on the lights.   
  
"Please, no more."   
  
Khil's breath caught in his throat and he shoved Corneia aside. He rushed in and knelt next to Ana. She was curled into a ball, her eyes squeezed shut. Her head was shaved, her face marred by abuse. Her normally delicate frame was shrunken by starvation until she looked more a child than a Jedi.   
  
He reached out to cup her torn cheek in his hand. He ran his finger along the roughly cauterized gash.   
  
She shuddered. "Please," she whispered.   
  
"Padawan," he said quietly.   
  
Her good eye opened quickly and she cringed at the light. "Master?"   
  
He nodded. "I'm here."   
  
She choked back a sob. "I knew you would come," she said quietly.   
  
He lifted her gently into his arms. "Where's your lightsaber?"   
  
"Somewhere in this room."   
  
Ahran straightened. "They're both over here," she said in a strained voice. She looked to Corneia. "Where's Machal?"   
  
"I don't know."   
  
She held up Sceri's lightsaber. "He is considered a war criminal on Pakrik Minor. If I can't have Sceri, I at least want justice."   
  
"We'll find him."   
  
Khil turned. "I'm getting her back to the ship. It's time she went home."   
* * *   
Khil lay Ana across the table in the medcenter. She had been blessedly unconscious for most of the trip back to Coruscant.   
  
Healer Takar moved to inspect her. "What happened?"   
  
"She spent four months in a prison camp on Ziost VII."   
  
Takar removed the rough-hewn prisoner's tunic and Khil gasped. A spiderweb of welts, scars, and gashes marred her delicate skin.   
  
"Whipping," Takar said quietly. "She has endured much."   
  
"Yes."   
  
Takar ran a hand over her back. "I will put her into a healing trance first, then have her worked on more closely. I sense that the marks on her soul are much worse than the marks on her body."   
  
"Undoubtedly," Khil said quietly, stroking her hair gently. "Watch over her well; we have come too far to lose her now."   
* * *   
Ana awoke in the Temple medcenter, a recurring destination. She flexed her wrist and legs, then ran a hand over the smooth unmarked skin of her face.   
  
She turned her head to see Khil enter. "All in favor of healing trances..."   
  
He sat next to her and took her hand. "You needed it. It's not every day that a sixteen-year-old has to endure that kind of damage."   
  
"It's not every day that anyone has to endure that," she countered angrily.   
  
"I don't know how you feel; I haven't ever been through a prison camp."   
  
"You have no idea what you're talking about," she snapped.   
  
"I'm sorry, Ana."   
  
She began pounding his chest rhythmically, her voice hoarse with pain. "You weren't there when I was being tortured to coerce my best friend. You weren't there when I was being beaten for trying to protect her. You weren't there as she went slowly mad. You didn't hear her as she blamed me for her death just before she drove her own lightsaber through her skull. You weren't there for the weeks afterwards. You weren't there."   
  
He pulled her into a tight embrace and her abuse stopped as she collapsed in sobs against his chest. He rubbed his hand along her back, not trusting himself to speak.   
  
Ana buried her face in shoulder. "I'm sorry; it's not your fault. I apologize for my lack of control, Master."   
  
He pulled back and held her back. "Ana, I can't pretend to understand any of what went on. I can't equate my experience searching for you the last seven weeks because I knew somehow that I'd see you again. But I can be here to help you heal. Understood?"   
  
She nodded and he helped her to her feet. "You've been in a healing trance for fifteen days; I think it's time you came home."   
  
She frowned. "They let me malinger for two weeks? Just how badly was I hurt?"   
  
His smile disappeared. "Broken bones, severe burns, internal bleeding; you nearly lost your eye from that neat little gash and there were severe gashes on your back and shoulders. Not to mention the traditional superficial signs of beating."   
  
She grimaced. "Are you sure I should be leaving here already?"   
  
He wrapped an arm around her narrow shoulders. "Come on, Padawan. Let's get back to work."   
  
CHAPTER 7   
  
Ana looked up from her readercards to find she had guests. She stood and bowed. "Can I help you?"   
  
The woman, a slender blonde with sunken eyes, bit her lip. "Are you Ana Majav?"   
  
"I am."   
  
The woman extended a hand. "I'm Enari Aturin, Sceri's mother. This is Valin."   
  
Ana choked back a sob and clapped her hand to her mouth. She shook the woman's hand firmly, then repeated the gesture with the man she assumed to be Sceri's father.   
  
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.   
  
Enari pulled her into a tearful embrace. "We do not hold you at fault. We are glad she had friends like you."   
  
"I couldn't do anything to save her," Ana countered. "Even she blamed me."   
  
"Madness does strange things," Valin said quietly, joining the embrace.   
  
They broke the gesture and Ana gestured to two seats. "Are you here for the funeral?"   
  
Valin nodded. "You're exactly as she described you. She spoke of almost no one else on a regular basis. I think she always wished that she had the same confidence that you radiated."   
  
Ana snorted gently. "I always thought it was the other way around. She was the strong-willed, courageous one. I was the introspective one."   
  
"She told us that before she could be a successful Jedi, she would have to overcome her fear of who she was and what she might become. She acted boldly to compensate for what she saw as shortcomings."   
  
"I never noticed," Ana said quietly.   
  
Enari took her hand. "We only saw her twice after she was taken to the Temple, so any family we have was never really her own. You were the one who had to take our place, even before Master Ahran took her as her Padawan. She told us in a letter once that you were the only person she would unhesitatingly die for."   
  
Ana hung her head and squeezed her eyes shut against the tears. "I'd rather she hadn't had the chance to prove it."   
  
Enari cupped her chin in her hand. "All good things must come to an end, Ana. Especially life."   
  
She nodded. "Beauty's hidden secret is death," she quoted.   
  
Enari smiled slightly. "She said you had a quote for everything."   
  
Ana smiled for the first time since Pakrik Minor. "Congenital defect," she countered.   
  
"We'll always be thankful to the Temple for raising her and Ahran for training her, but we will be most thankful to you for completing her."   
* * *   
The funeral pyre had finally died out and the mourners scattered. Even Ahran had departed some time ago.   
  
Ana knelt before the pyre, her hands folded in her lap, her head bent.   
  
Despite the admonitions to keep her emotions in check, she had wept unabashedly during the entire ceremony, from when Master Ahran had set fire to her Padawan to when the traditional mourner's blessing had been intoned at the end. Some of the older mourners had sent her reproachful looks, but Khil had simply held her in a side embrace and allowed the tears to come.   
  
"Padawan Majav, remain here still do you?"   
  
Ana pivoted slightly and bowed to Master Yoda. "Perhaps I am unwilling let go of her."   
  
"More than that there is," he observed. "Unwilling to let go of your guilt you are."   
  
She opened her mouth to protest, then shut it and nodded. "I think I'll always be left wondering if I could have saved her from the madness. If only I'd been stronger, if I hadn't been so centered on self-preservation, if only I had killed Machal."   
  
"As all must be," Yoda said thoughtfully. "Extremely mercurial the living Force is."   
  
She nodded solemnly. "It's times like this that I seriously doubt my ability to use the Force. I can't decide if I was blessed or cursed with such power.   
  
"The Force has given us a great burden to bear. We have to be the protectors of thousands, the sages of the Galaxy, and the shapers of future generations, but in addition we have to counterbalance it with the fact that we are mortal. We have limitations, we have failures. We are like most other beings in this Galaxy or others, but we are expected to become like the gods while being hopelessly flawed."   
  
She gestured to the pyre. "I think I made the mistake of believing that nothing could destroy something so young, so perfect; I didn't safeguard her enough because I didn't believe that she could be endangered."   
  
"Blame yourself you must not. All things the way of the Force are."   
  
She turned a cold glare on him. "Pardon me, Master, but I do not serve a Force that would encourage a child to be killed in this way. This was the way of errant men, not the way of the Force."   
  
He nodded, his wrinkled lips pursing into a grim line. "Nevertheless, fear yourself you must not. Doubt yourself you cannot. Despair never." He shuffled closer and brushed her tears away with a small hand. "Let the past serve your future you must."   
  
  
  



	3. Default Chapter Title

Part 2  
PART 2   
  
BEFORE THE STORM   
  
"We believe that...calamities are visited upon men...for [their] good...to quicken their devotion to others and to bring out their better natures."   
~Joseph F. Smith   
  
36 YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF ENDOR   
  
  
CHAPTER 1   
  
A verdant beam of light cut through the air. A violet blade intercepted it and drove it to the side.   
  
Ana Majav lunged forward with a overhead strike, swinging in towards her opponent's midline from the left. He blocked it easily and attempted a controlled sweep from right hip to left shoulder. She slid her hand back to the butterfly handles and performed a quick sphere attack, driving his saber from his hands.   
  
A moment later, she was knocked to the ground. She pressed her hand to the side of her face, felt the blood streaming.   
  
She got to her knees and sat in meditation as was customary, then stood and grimaced. "All right, inattention to sphere of responsibility, telekinetic skills weak. Am I missing anything?"   
  
Khil laughed. "It's hard to lecture you when you already know your faults. I'll have to invent some new ones."   
  
"Why bother?"   
  
"Life without an errant Padawan is like a mission without disaster."   
  
Ana grinned. "Touché." She glared at her bloodstained palm. "That'll leave a mark."   
  
He gripped her hand and pulled her to the bench at the side of the arena. "Let me."   
  
He traced his hand along the gash, closing it. "We'll work on the scar later."   
  
She shook her head. "I'd rather keep it there as a reminder to myself of what can be improved."   
  
He smiled slightly. "Your face or your sabership?"   
  
She sent him a look of mild exasperation. "Touché."   
  
He reached over to hand her the half boots she preferred to wear. "We'll be leaving for the 23rd Hour in a half hour."   
  
She nodded and pulled the boots on. "What's the occasion?"   
  
He shook his head ruefully. "I could swear that you're the only one in the Order who forgets her own birthday every year." He pushed her away affectionately. "Thirty minutes."   
* * *   
"Master Khil."   
  
Khil shot to his feet and clasped the taller man in a tight embrace. "Lisaar, it's been what, eight years?"   
  
Lisaar laughed. "Just about."   
  
Khil gestured to Ana. "You remember Ana Majav."   
  
Ana stood and bowed respectfully to Lisaar. "A pleasure to meet you once again."   
  
Lisaar bowed back. "You finally got the respect part of training down, I see."   
  
Khil shook his head. "You were just too stubborn to ever consider being respectful."   
  
He frowned as he looked around the room. "Who are you here with?"   
  
"My Padawan, naturally. I've had him for almost four years." He smiled. "How's your sabership?"   
  
"She's almost as good as you," Khil declared.   
  
"She should duel Yrin sometime."   
  
"Don't they usually pair people of equal age and skill?"   
  
"Yrin's about to turn twenty-three and an excellent saberman. He's a hairsbreadth away from beginning the Trials."   
  
Ana sat down, averting her gaze. Khil had been trying to convince her to apply for the Trials for weeks now, but she was adamantly against the idea.   
  
Khil frowned. "I thought you'd only had him for four years."   
  
Lisaar glanced down. "I inherited him from Lanje."   
  
Khil's features softened. "I'm sorry. What happened?"   
  
"They were shot down over Sullust. Lanje was killed on impact; Yrin escaped with a few broken bones and a concussion. The Council decided to bestow him on me." He sighed. "I don't regret it, but I wish the circumstances had been better."   
  
"Undoubtedly."   
  
"So, when can we have them duel?"   
  
"We practice from the third hour to the sixth hour."   
  
"The fourth hour, then? So they're both warmed up?"   
  
"Agreed."   
  
Lisaar bowed to them both. "Good night then."   
  
Ana picked up her fork and began toying with her food absently, trying to think of anything but the Trials.   
  
Khil covered her hand with his right hand and turned her face to look at him with his left. "You know you're ready for the Trials. The Council knows it as well. Why are you fighting this?"   
  
She shrugged. "I guess I'm a bit apprehensive that I'd fail at them."   
  
"No one has ever failed the Trials in recorded history." He smiled broadly. "Don't flatter yourself into thinking you could be the first."   
  
She laughed easily. "Point taken."   
  
He clasped her hand in both of his. "I'm meeting with the Council tonight. They'll want to know if you agree to the Trials. Please, let me say you do."   
  
She sighed. "All right, I agree, but let it be on your head."   
* * *   
"Ready when you are."   
  
Ana looked up to see Lisaar enter, followed by a tall, dark-haired man who she assumed to be her opponent.   
  
They stepped into the light and Ana felt herself blush involuntarily. And they say a handsome Jedi is an oxymoron.   
  
Yrin towered over her by at least half a foot. His dark brown hair was cut in the traditional Padawan style, exposing chiseled features. His green eyes were close-set and piercing. Like her, he wore a sleeveless tunic and loose-fitting slacks.   
  
"About time," she called. "Master Yuize intoned the fourth hour blessing nearly ten minutes ago."   
  
Lisaar nodded. "We figured women are always late, so we'd humor you."   
  
Ana gripped her foot by the toes and stretched her leg parallel to her body. "A likely excuse, but it still won't excuse you or your Padawan from utter humiliation."   
  
"We'll see," Yrin said quietly.   
  
Ana let her leg drop and repeated the procedure with the other leg. "So, you do have a voice."   
  
"And an ego to go with it," he countered. "Are you sure you're not Corellian?"   
  
"Thank the Force, no." She strode forward and bowed to him. "Ana Majav of Alderaan."   
  
"Yrin Llyr of Corellia."   
  
She grinned. "My condolences. Shall we get started?"   
  
He bowed. "With pleasure."   
  
She removed her flexible exercise shoes and set them on the bench. Yrin inspected her curiously. "You're not going to wear foot protection?"   
  
"Not for sparring." She sent him a grin. "I like to be in touch with reality."   
  
"And if my sabership encounters your bare feet?"   
  
She arched an eyebrow. "If that happens, I have a bigger problem than a severed foot."   
  
He shrugged. "Suit yourself."   
  
Lisaar cleared his throat and shot his Padawan a look. "You know the rules for this sort of sparring. No telekinesis, no killing blows, and no mind manipulation."   
  
Yrin swore softly, sending her a covert wink. Lisaar passed Yrin and landed firmly on his instep. Yrin's expression wavered, then resumed.   
  
"First one to disarm the other is the victor."   
  
They moved to the center of the arena and took positions for the salutatory exhibitions, a tradition in sparring. The exhibitions were typically supposed to showcase each opponent's fighting style and abilities before the pressure of combat set in.   
  
Yrin began with a respectful bow, then snapped his lightsaber up into a vertical salute and ignited it. He stepped back into a high guard stance, and brought his saber around in a spherical attack that changed hands several times, then tossed the saber into the air. He punched into a back flip and caught it before landing, then went through the five-cuts drill with precise control and surprising speed.   
He spun through an alternating sequence that covered all areas of vulnerability. He finally ended in a blinding series of thrust-and-parry sequences. The final parry movement sliced down and to the right, then snapped into the original salute and he bowed.   
  
Ana returned the salute in kind and as she straightened, she threw the saber into a high arc. She performed a series of flips and back handsprings before catching the saber in a right-handed extension grip. She dropped into a low guard stance, executing a flawless Paparak crosscut on both sides. She tossed the saber behind her back and caught it by the handle on her thumb, then executed a spherical attack sequence to her rear. She finally executed the 'butterfly' sequence, a carefully controlled sequence of attacks and defenses that she played across both hands. When the saber returned to the middle, she balanced it on the thumb handle, then let it rock back to rest on her finger. Her right hand came up to grip the hilt and she snapped it up into a respectful salute and bowed.   
  
Lisaar looked stunned. Yrin's jaw was agape.   
  
Khil couldn't stop grinning.   
  
"Proceed," he called out.   
  
Ana dropped into a low guard stance, gauging his size and reach. After a moment's hesitation, he struck, coming in from high and to the left. She stepped into the swing, letting her momentum carry her forward into the parry instead of succumbing to the attack. Since Yrin wasn't expecting such a move, it drove him back a step and she took that opportunity to drive in below his swing.   
  
Luckily for him, his reflexes were quick, so the attack didn't run him through. He caught her blade at an angle and with a quick upward flick, nearly disarmed her.   
  
A strong believer in momentum, she followed the path of her blade, launching into a back flip. Her foot caught him under the nose, forcing his head back. He took the opportunity to snap his saber into a salute position, gashing her leg open.   
  
She landed in a not-quite-graceful heap. She got to her feet, shunting the pain away. "You'll not get off that easily," she growled.   
  
"Perhaps."   
  
She slid her hand back to the handles and tossed the saber into the air. Catching it on her left hand, she turned into a guard stance and executed the Paparak sequence with the majority of her form protected. The initial cuts didn't have much effect, but he made the mistake of trying to use the third attack as a disarming technique. His blade hit air, since she'd tossed the weapon to her other hand. Before he could recover, she singed his arm, then spun the saber across her fingers in a quick motion. In the moment of distraction, she tossed it and caught it in a full grip, then struck from the left, knocking the saber from his hand.   
  
She shut her saber off and waited for him to retrieve the fallen weapon before saluting and bowing. They dropped into a meditative stance, then rose at an unspoken signal a few minutes later.   
  
Yrin hooked his saber to his belt and extended a hand. "Not too bad for a girl."   
  
She narrowed her eyes and swiped a hand across her brow. "I won; what does that make you?"   
  
He shook her hand. "Humbled."   
  
She grinned. "Glad to hear it."   
  
She crossed to the benches and sat, stretching her leg out in front of her so she could start the healing process.   
  
"An impressive display, on both your parts."   
  
Ana nodded to Lisaar. "You trained him well."   
  
"I've never seen the Paparak used as a diversion."   
  
Ana shrugged. "If someone's trying to work around the cross-cut, that leaves an entire side vulnerable. It's misdirection, so that when the alternate hand takes over, they'll still be recovering."   
  
Yrin toweled off his face and grimaced. "I'd hate to be caught on your bad side."   
  
She pulled a sabacc face. "I'll take that as a compliment."   
  
"That you should," he countered. "We should do this again."   
  
She nodded. "Agreed, but don't expect it to get any easier."   
  
He grinned and stood. "Ana Majav, I have the feeling that with you, nothing will ever get any easier."   
  
She grinned. "That it won't. Until later, Yrin."   
  
Khil helped her up, then guided her back towards the apprentice quarters. "Excellent job, as usual. Masters Yoda and Ki-Adi-Mundi were very impressed."   
  
Ana turned to stare, slack-jawed at him. "They were there?"   
  
"Part of the Trials is an evaluation of sabership. When I met with them last night, I suggested that they should come watch the duel."   
  
She grimaced. "I'm sure they were overawed by the graceful heap I landed in."   
  
"Actually, they took it as a sign that you were persistent. You managed to still win on an injured leg."   
  
She nodded. "Llyr certainly didn't make it easy."   
  
He glanced over. "A Jedi feels no passion."   
  
She threw up her hands. "Where did that come from?"   
  
Khil grinned. "I met my wife in the Order, you know. There's nothing wrong with..."   
  
Ana stopped. "I met him five minutes ago and you're already planning the wedding?"   
  
"Well, I don't know about you, but I happened to notice that, during your exhibition, Yrin said, 'I think I'm in love.'"   
  
She blushed. "Most guys are suckers for girls who can kill them single-handedly."   
  
"Touché." He palmed open the door. "But I also know how you looked at him."   
  
"And how was that?"   
  
"As if you were about to swoon."   
  
She glared at him and pulled off her shoes. "I did not."   
  
The room was typically spartan, characteristic of the Temple style. Two chairs and a couch with a low table completed the living area, just off the kitchen. The bedrooms lay beyond, containing one cot, a chest of drawers, and a desk each. Everything was monochromatic and simple.   
  
When she was younger, she often fantasized about being able to design her own room. A larger room with a large bed, adorned with flannel sheets and a comforter that could smother or simply keep warm. Yellow walls with holos of friends and holostars. A picture window with a balcony attached.   
  
She didn't want a room, she wanted a distraction.   
  
She eventually realized that the reason that the Temple quarters were so spartan was because anything else was a distraction and therefore detrimental to what they were trying to accomplish.   
  
She sat on the couch and stretched her legs out. "What can you tell me about the Trials?"   
  
Khil came in with two drinking bulbs of water. "Not much. They differ for each person, depending on their strengths, their weaknesses, and their needs. My Trials were vastly different from my wife's or Lisaar's and yours will be different from Yrin's. The duels are intrinsic to every one." He handed her one. "Then there's the matter of your lightsaber."   
  
She held it up. "I have one. What's wrong with it?"   
  
"It's not your own." He smiled. "Your mother left that to you with instructions to wield it until you could find your own form of justice. Part of the Trials is making your own lightsaber."   
  
She groaned. "With my Force-given talent for engineering."   
  
He sat next to her and patted her knee. "Don't worry about it."   
  
She settled back against the arm of the couch. "How long do they usually take?"   
  
"As long as necessary."   
  
CHAPTER 2   
  
Ana delivered a quick series of blows, backing Yrin towards the edge of the sparring area. He parried as best he could, sometimes only barely managing the feat.   
  
"Come on, give me a challenge," she said with a grin.   
  
"Gladly."   
  
He sidestepped one of her swings, then caught her about the waist and kissed her. For a moment, she was too startled to do anything except stand there.   
  
Eventually, the shock wore off and she delivered a solid whack to his side. He crumpled, gasping, and his lightsaber rolled from his hand.   
  
"What was that for?"   
  
"No mind manipulation," she snapped.   
  
"That wasn't mind manipulation," he protested, clutching his side.   
  
"You did that with the deliberate intent of distracting me. That constitutes as mind manipulation."   
  
He rolled onto his back. "Then, you can't tell me you didn't like it."   
  
She placed her saber tip at his throat. "I'm armed and I'm not exactly happy with you. I can tell you anything I please."   
  
He held his hands up in surrender. "If I apologize, will you promise not to kill me?"   
  
She grinned sardonically. "I'm not allowed to kill you, but some serious damage could be done. Better make it good."   
  
"Let me up first."   
  
She moved the saber tip and he got to his knees. He took her hand and bowed his head over it as though he were a religious suppliant.   
  
"I humbly beg your forgiveness for my appalling behavior."   
  
She couldn't help laughing and pulled him to his feet. "Apology accepted."   
  
"Ana."   
  
Ana released his hand and turned to see Khil entering the practice arena. "Another trial?"   
  
"The Council wants to see you in five minutes. Bring nothing but yourself."   
  
Ana grimaced. "That can't be good." She bowed to Yrin. "We'll continue this some other time."   
  
He returned the gesture. "I look forward to it."   
  
She crossed to the bench and pulled on her stockings and half boots. She pulled her tunic and robe over the sleeveless undertunic and slacks she was wearing. She pinned her thick braid up and stood.   
  
Khil led her back towards the Council chambers. "What did you do to him?"   
  
She rolled her eyes. "He tried mind manipulation." She folded her arms. "He kissed me."   
  
Khil laughed. "I agree, that's definitely mind manipulation."   
  
"What exactly will the Council have me do?"   
  
"I don't know. I'm not allowed to observe this phase of the Trials."   
  
They were ushered into the reception area. "Khil and Majav."   
  
"Go right in, Padawan Majav. Master Khil, you will be contacted when the exercise is concluded."   
  
Ana stepped through the doors into the Council chamber. She crossed to the speaker's circle, then snapped to attention and bowed respectfully.   
  
Master Windu folded his hands in his lap and eyed her carefully. "We apologize for the abruptness with which you were called."   
  
"Quite all right." She took a deep breath. "What is it you wish?"   
  
"Because of the nature of this trial, we are not allowed to give you any information on what it will consist of. We ourselves are only vaguely aware of what will happen. What we can tell you is this: you will be put into a trance over which only Master Yoda has control. We of the Council will not interfere with the process, only monitor it through a mindlink. The length of the exercise is undetermined. Understood?"   
  
Ana nodded. "Yes, Master."   
  
"Assume the meditative stance."   
* * *   
Ana's eyes snapped open. She was on her side, curled into a fetal position, her chest heaving, her limbs trembling with exhaustion.   
  
"What happened?"   
  
An aide ran forward with a drinking bulb of water. Ana got to her knees and took it. She quickly drained it, her hand trembling so violently that half of the water sloshed out.   
  
"Well you did, Ana."   
  
She forced herself to lift her eyes to Master Yoda. He had descended from his chair and was standing before her, a grim smile on his wrinkled face.   
  
"Is it over?"   
  
He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Yes. Remember anything do you?"   
  
She shook her head. "Just fleeting images, feelings."   
  
He nodded. "Good it is, that you remember not more."   
  
He crossed back to his chair and Ana stood. "May I ask what you did?"   
  
"We did nothing."   
  
Ki-adi-mundi nodded. "The Force confronted you with a wide spectrum of feelings and memories and we then gauged your reaction." He sat back. "Go rest. You've had a busy thirty-seven hours. May the Force be with you."   
  
"And with you."   
  
She bowed, then straightened and strode out of the room.   
  
Khil was waiting in the foyer. He rocked to his feet and caught her in a support. "Are you all right?"   
  
She nodded. "I'm exhausted."   
  
"Understandably." He shuddered. "They did something similar to me when I was facing the Trials, but it only lasted a few hours."   
  
"I've never been so completely drained in my life."   
  
Without a word, he lifted her into his arms. She didn't protest, just rested her head against his chest, focusing her powers on regaining her energy.   
  
He palmed open the door to their quarters and carried her into her bedroom. She settled onto her back. "What hour is it?"   
  
"About two hours to dawn." He rested a hand on her arm. "Unless the Council says otherwise, today is an in-house rest period."   
  
Ana sat up and pulled off her boots. "Best idea I've heard all year."   
* * *   
Ana looked up as Khil entered the living area. "What are you doing up this late?"   
  
He started and turned. "The question is, what are you?"   
  
She bit her lip. "I had a dream, I think."   
  
"You mean, you aren't sure if it was a dream or a premonition."   
  
She nodded. "It was about Yrin."   
  
"I see." He frowned. "I'm going to make some tea. Do you want some?"   
  
"Yes, please."   
  
He began preparations. "So, what was the nature of this dream that it has you up four hours before dawn?"   
  
She sighed and brought her legs up beneath her. "It involved mass destruction by an unknown enemy. I don't think there was a plotline so much as a series of images. It reminded me of what we saw in the camps during the Uprising on Corellia."   
  
Khil nodded solemnly. They had encountered a prisoner of war camp in the hinterlands where the population was literally laid out in the form of a mass grave. However, most of the people in the trenches had still been alive, sandwiched in between their dead friends and comrades, waiting to die a slow and painful death.   
  
"In it were members of the Order, including you, Lisaar, part of the Council, and others who seemed intensely familiar but I didn't yet know. More were being inhumed by shadows. I saw Yrin, his face half in shadow, half in light, standing with his saber ignited with one foot in the mass grave, the other in the realm of the shadows. I don't know quite what happens, but the next thing I remember is his face coming out of the shadow. I can see myself, but I am neither in the grave, nor in the shadows. I am the one who has to put him to rest with the rest of them."   
  
Khil turned and offered a grim smile. "I can see where your confusion arises. It's mostly in symbolism, but often that's how the Force communicates."   
  
She nodded. "I'm not sure I want to live to see it come true."   
  
"Like it or not, it may happen," he said quietly. "You've been having more nightmares than usual since the trial, haven't you."   
  
She nodded. "I think it made me hypersensitive to certain parts of my mind. This is the first one that isn't a memory."   
  
He frowned. "There are suppression techniques, but I know how much you hate blocking the Force's influence in any way."   
  
"Right." She folded her hands and pressed them to her abdomen. "I don't know where to go from here."   
  
"To bed is a start," he said with a grin.   
  
She smiled. "You know what I mean."   
  
He sighed and removed the kettle from the burner. "What tea do you want?"   
  
"Gimer root."   
  
He nodded. "A good choice when facing a problem."   
  
He returned to the living area and handed her a mug. "I know you hate it when I say this, but I think you're going to have to wait on the Force for the answer to your questions."   
  
She shook her head. "I knew you'd say that."   
  
He tapped her knee. "It's true. Neither of us know when and if your vision will be fulfilled. The future is always in motion and clouded as it is."   
  
"I know." She yawned. "So, what were you doing up at this time of morning?"   
  
"Being paranoid." He sipped his tea. "It's been days since the Council bugged us last. I dread to see what they're planning for you next."   
  
She unlocked her fingers and squeezed his forearm. "My own thoughtful Master."   
  
He took the mug from her and stood. "It's late and we could be summoned any time. I suggest we both get some rest while we can."   
* * *   
Ana turned to see Yrin approaching. "Well, I didn't think I'd see you until the Trials ended. Seems there's no time for anything else these days."   
  
Yrin bowed. "I heard your last meeting with the Council lasted thirty-seven hours."   
  
She grimaced. "That it did."   
  
He shook his head. "You always were one to overdo things."   
  
"Speaking of which, how's your side?"   
  
He flushed. "Better. Healer Ba'tac was quite entertained by the story."   
  
"Glad to hear it did some good."   
  
She gestured to his belt. "I see you finished your lightsaber."   
  
"As did you."   
  
She unhooked it and handed it to him, taking his. He inspected the intricately carved handle. "What are these carioglyphs?"   
  
"Taiald script. Native to my home region on Alderaan. The inscription translates as 'The Jedi Order of Alderaan: May the peace and justice we preserve and foster endure as long as our beloved homeworld.'"   
  
"The motto?"   
  
She nodded, looking over the hilt. "Fine workmanship. You're probably the engineering type, while I'm the artist."   
  
"I could have told you that," he countered.   
  
He pushed open a door to a balcony and stepped into the midday sun. She followed him out and he ignited the deep blue blade.   
  
"The color of peace," he observed. "How did you make it the same color as your eyes?"   
  
She shrugged. "I have no talent for engineering, but my chemistry is much better. Besides, I wanted it to be deep to signify the elusiveness of the trait."   
  
His mouth twitched. "Leave it to you to put meaning into it. I just liked the color."   
  
She shook her head. "Men," she growled.   
  
He examined the activation switch. "You don't have a fixed amplitude saber, do you?"   
  
She shook her head and took the weapon. She adjusted the switch and the blade doubled in length, going to a light green color.   
  
"I figured that if I want the control a regular grip gives me, I might as well be able to have the range that the extension grip has."   
  
"Sensible," he concluded.   
  
She shut off the weapon and attached it to her belt. She thumbed on his saber and smiled.   
  
"Amber. A rare choice."   
  
"For fashion or fidelity. I prefer to think of it as the latter."   
  
She nodded. "It fits."   
  
He smiled. "Thank you."   
  
She extinguished it and handed it back to him. "Are you done for the day?"   
  
"As far as I know." He held the door open for her, then fell in step beside her. "And yourself?"   
  
"The same." She checked her chrono. "I haven't heard from the Council in five days. Should I be worried?"   
  
Yrin laughed. "Probably not. It's probably a Trial in and of itself. To see if you have the patience necessary to be a Jedi."   
  
She palmed open the door to her quarters and strode in. Lisaar stood. "I thought you'd come here. The Council wants to see us as soon as we can get there. Ana and Khil as well."   
  
Yrin turned and shrugged at her. "Looks like the waiting's over."   
* * *   
"The Council will see you now."   
  
Khil squeezed Ana's hand as they rose. "Don't worry about it."   
  
"Who's worried," she countered.   
  
They entered the speaker's circle and bowed in unison. Ana straightened and clasped her hands behind her back.   
  
Master Windu straightened. "Padawan Majav, you have faced every trial we have presented with admirable dedication and skill. It's been a very rough six weeks and I'd imagine that you'd rather have it over with."   
  
A muscle in her cheek twitched, but she didn't allow herself to smile. "I will do whatever the Council wishes."   
  
Windu smiled slightly. "In that case, kneel Padawan Majav."   
  
She could hear Khil's sharp intake of breath, knew what was about to take place. The lightsaber igniting was her next clue. Khil took hold of her braid and in a swift stroke, severed it.   
  
"Rise, Jedi Knight Ana Majav."   
  
She stood, her face finally succumbing to the smile.   
  
"Proud we are to welcome you fully into the Order. Watched you for a long time we have. Never doubted did we that reach this point you would."   
  
Ana nodded. "Thank you."   
  
"Your partner Yrin Llyr will be. May the Force be with you."   
  
"And with you," they both replied.   
  
With that, they strode from the room. Khil immediately lifted her off the floor in a rib-crushing embrace.   
  
She broke away moments later and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for everything."   
  
He brushed her cheek with his hand. "It's always been my pleasure."   
  
He turned to Yrin and Lisaar. "I understand congratulations are in order for the both of you as well."   
  
Lisaar bent down to embrace her as well. "Take good care of Yrin; he's incapable of doing it himself."   
  
She laughed. "I promise."   
  
Khil leaned against the wall. "So, where do we go to celebrate?"   
  
Yrin wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I think we both need a decent haircut first."   
  
She reached up to tug at his hair. "No one would notice the absence of mine. Yours practically leaves a bald spot." She turned back to the Masters. "I propose we celebrate at the 23rd Hour in about forty-five minutes."   
  
"Agreed," Yrin said. "Any suggestions?"   
  
Khil guided Ana towards a turbolift. "Take one of the speeders to 97 135th St. two levels down. It's closest to the 23rd Hour. That should be satisfactory."   
* * *   
Ana finished unbraiding the elaborate plaits in her hair and ran her fingers from root to tip. "I had no idea it had gotten so long."   
  
Yrin looked over from his seat next to her. The procedure had taken moments for him. "What, you hadn't noticed?"   
  
She shook her head. "How many female Padawans do you see with their hair down?"   
  
"Touché." He reached over and fingered a strand. "I hope you're not planning to cut it all off."   
  
The stylist, a lithe Twi'lek female, inspected the project before her. "I'd keep the length, but the ends are hopelessly uneven."   
  
"Sounds good."   
  
Yrin smiled. "I always thought there was something more dramatic to Knighthood than yet another Master-inflicted bad haircut."   
  
Ana laughed. "Llyr, you've only been a Knight for thirty-four minutes. I wouldn't exactly cite you as a frame of reference."   
  
He folded his arms in mock hurt. "I'll thank you to keep your opinions to yourself, since you are the junior partner."   
  
"By three minutes," she countered.   
  
He shook his head. "So young, so disrespectful."   
  
She held up a hand. "Last time I checked, Lisaar said you were 'nearly twenty-three' on my twenty-third birthday."   
  
He grimaced. "Technicalities."   
  
"Call it whatever you like."   
  
He sat back and sighed. "Are you always this argumentative or are you just trying to drive me to despair?"   
  
She grinned. "Yes."   
  
The Twi'lek stepped back. "That should do it."   
  
Ana inspected the work, then nodded and handed over the necessary credits. "Thank you."   
  
She stood and followed Yrin out to the speeder. She climbed in and strapped in. "On to the next phase."   
  
Yrin lifted a strand and twisted it around his finger. "I think I like it this way."   
  
She turned to smile at him. "After twenty-three years, I'm ready for a change."   
  
"I can understand that."   
  
He leaned in and, almost hesitantly, kissed her. She stiffened for a moment, then relaxed into it.   
  
He pulled away. "We should get going," he said quietly.   
  
She smiled. "We'll definitely have to continue this later."   
  
CHAPTER 3   
  
"It is customary for the discarded Master to present gifts to the departing Padawan. With that in mind, we have some things for you."   
  
Khil handed her a small box, wrapped in black velvet. "Every Alderaanian to reach the rank of Jedi Knight wears one of these. They're the same in design but vastly different in make-up. This was made from the lightsaber Ana used on our first mission and a few other things."   
  
Ana opened the box to find a ring with gold and titanium interwoven into a braided band. At the center was a Corusca gem bisected by an engraving of an ignited lightsaber. In Taiald script around the edges was the same motto that Ana bore on her lightsaber. On the inside rim was another inscription: "To my daughter, on the day she proved to the Galaxy what I knew from the first moment."   
  
Ana got to her feet and tightly embraced him, burying her cheek against his chest. He released her and she could see him fighting back tears.   
  
She reached up and brushed away the tears with her hand. "There is no emotion, there is the Force," she joked.   
  
"I've taught you too well," he rejoined.   
  
They sat and Lisaar brought out three packages. "Before you accuse me of trying to show Khil up, these are from three different sources. The first one is from myself and Master Lanje Thian, since the Jedi Order of Corellia is allowed to grant the particular decoration. The second is from Yrin's two sisters. And the last one, I'm informed, belonged to his father and is passed on by his mother."   
  
The first was a pair of slacks with the distinguished Corellian Bloodstripes decoration, received with more emotion than Ana and Khil. The second was a complete set of robes, with a note attached.   
  
Yrin removed the note and read it, laughing. "'We figured that if you're to be saving the Galaxy, you might as well look good doing it.'"   
  
Ana laughed. "I think I might like to meet your sisters. It explains where you get your so-called sense of humor."   
  
Lisaar prodded Yrin gently in the shoulder. "Come on. Your mother wouldn't tell me what this one was."   
  
Yrin removed the wrapping and opened the long, flat box. He removed a bulk of cloth, then shook it out to reveal a deep brown, fine-spun Jedi robe.   
  
Yrin let out a low whistle. "I've only seen it a few times. It was one of the things my mother refused to let me come in contact with, since it's almost all they have left of him."   
  
"She's passing on the legacy," Ana said quietly, reaching over to squeeze his hand.   
  
He sent her a smile. "So, what happens next?"   
  
Khil pulled a face. "What? We're no longer responsible for you. Figure it out on your own."   
  
Yrin laughed. "Surely you're not going to leave us homeless, are you?"   
  
Lisaar folded his arms. "We're allowed to tell you only this: there's a transport waiting at Eastport that leaves in an hour for Corellia and when you return in ten days, there will be a place for you to stay."   
  
"But first," Khil interjected, "we're going to give each of you a parting lecture. Lisaar, you have Ana back to Eastport 17 in forty-five minutes."   
  
Ana glanced at Lisaar. "He's going to give the parting lecture?"   
  
Lisaar rested a hand on her shoulder. "You're going to be taking care of the closest thing I have to family. I think we should make sure you'll do it right."   
* * *   
Yrin turned from the window and its expansive view of the cityscape. "Seniority does have its privileges."   
  
Khil laughed. "You know as well as I that there is no order to quarter assignments. Besides, this was Ana's for two years before I even took her as my Padawan." He gestured to a seat. "She was orphaned rather abruptly at thirteen. When I took her, they did not see fit to change her accommodations."   
  
Yrin sat and frowned. "So, what exactly should I know about Ana?"   
  
"Ana has been through more degrees of the Force spectrum than anyone I've known. She's been trained in the Light, smothered by the Dark.   
  
"For ten years, I've trained her to keep her emotions under tight control. The Council knows as well as I do that it will take a great deal to sway her to either side.   
  
"I will not tell you to walk on eggshells with her, to treat her delicately. She does not need that; nor will she tolerate it."   
  
Yrin smiled. "I guessed as much."   
  
"You will, however, need to be mindful of her. She does not take anything lightly, much less her feelings. If you do not treat her as she deserves, I will never forgive you."   
  
"I'd never forgive myself," he countered.   
  
Khil nodded. "I know your intentions towards her."   
  
Yrin looked up sharply. Khil held up a hand. "I don't mind; I suspect she is of the same mind. But don't ever betray those intentions."   
  
Yrin frowned. "Of course not."   
  
Khil smiled. "She's lucky to have you. You know that, don't you."   
  
He nodded. "I just hope someday she'll realize the same."   
* * *   
"Yrin's chief weakness is his temper."   
  
Ana looked up and bit her lip. "Really."   
  
Lisaar nodded. "I don't mean to worry you, given your previous experiences, but he has a strong tendency towards the more extreme of emotions. It's been a source of concern several times in the past.   
  
"I know that you're acutely aware of things like that. I think the Council knows that and that's why you were partnered with Yrin. You're going to need to be a spiritual anchor for him, as he will be with you.   
  
"Yrin is one of the most important people I've ever had in my life. As you know, the Padawan-Master bond is a two-way learning experience and he's taught me things that Khil never even touched upon.   
  
"I trust you with everything that he is, everything that he can be. And I know that he will be twice as protective of you as you ever can be of him."   
  
She laughed. "I suppose you'd know a lot better than I."   
  
Lisaar stood. "We should be getting to Eastport."   
  
Ana pushed to her feet. "Thank you for the counsel. I'll do my best as his partner and his friend."   
* * *   
Yrin stepped off the shuttle into a familiarly strange environment. He'd been here many times, whether on missions or visits, but it would never quite feel like his homeworld.   
  
Ana glanced over with a wry smile. "I know how you feel."   
  
He narrowed his eyes. "Stop reading my mind."   
  
Ana laughed. "You're broadcasting so loud that the Force-blinds are giving us strange looks."   
  
He fingered the shoulder material of her robe. "I think it's the clothes."   
  
She shook her head and headed towards the gate. "So, where does your family live?"   
  
"If I remember correctly..."   
  
"Yrin Llyr!"   
  
Ana turned to see a younger girl tackle Yrin. She stepped back, startled. "Yrin, I assume you know this girl?"   
  
He laughed and set her down. "If I'm not mistaken, this is my little sister, Anayl."   
  
Anayl shoved him gently. "If you're not mistaken?"   
  
He wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "I haven't seen you in four years and the holos you send me hardly do you justice." He gestured to Ana. "Anayl, this is my friend and partner, Ana Majav."   
  
Ana bowed slightly. Anayl could have been Yrin's twin had he been a few years younger and she a few inches taller.   
  
Anayl nodded. "So you're the unfortunate one to get stuck with my brother." She spun out from under his arm. "Come on, we've got the speeder."   
  
"How did you know when we were coming in?"   
  
"The Temple sent in word of when your approximate date of arrival would be and, since Nya's husband works at the spaceport, we had him give word of when you got cleared for landing." She plucked at his robe. "After that, all we had to do was look for an impeccably dressed Jedi Knight. It wasn't too hard."   
  
They came in view of a landspeeder. An older woman turned and clapped her hands to her mouth, then ran forward to embrace Yrin.   
  
Anayl took Ana's bag and rolled her eyes. "Don't mind her. She's a bit oversentimental."   
  
"It's understandable," Ana said, grinning.   
  
Yrin broke away and embraced the other, presumably his sister, Nya.   
  
"Ana, this is my mother, Neila, and my sister, Nya. Everyone, this is Ana Majav, my partner and friend."   
  
He turned and got into the speeder. "Shall we be going?"   
* * *   
"So, what's the deal with Ana?"   
  
Yrin laughed and sat on top of the balcony railing. "What do you mean, 'the deal?'"   
  
"You know what I mean."   
  
He folded his arms. "She trained under my Master's old Master. She was Knighted three minutes after I was. She's from..."   
  
Anayl whacked his leg. "Not that."   
  
He caught her hand. "Don't forget, I have a lightsaber and I know how to use it."   
  
"That's not much of a threat," she countered. "Anything you built has got to be malfunctioning."   
  
He grinned. "I'm better at using it than building it."   
  
She snorted. "They let you use a lethal weapon?"   
  
He laughed. "Ana's much better at it."   
  
"I can imagine."   
  
He sat back. "You should see her sabership. She nearly kills me every time we duel."   
  
"You're hopeless."   
  
"I don't know what you're talking about," he said with a grin.   
  
Anayl steepled her fingers and pressed them to her lips. "And what's worse, you're in love."   
  
Yrin buried his head in his hands. "Is it that obvious?"   
  
Anayl laughed. "I knew it. I may be Force-blind, but I'm pretty good about reading your signals."   
  
He nodded. "I know."   
  
She smiled. "Does she know?"   
  
"I don't think so."   
  
"Know what?"   
  
Anayl gestured to him. "You'll find out later."   
  
Yrin jumped from the railing squarely onto her instep. She caught her breath and sent him an annoyed look, then went inside.   
  
Ana moved to the balcony and gazed out. "She's wonderful."   
  
He took her hand and looked her over. "Where did you get the dress?"   
  
She blushed slightly. "Your mother thought that if we're on vacation, I should look less like a career warrior."   
  
He grinned. "It worked."   
  
The white dress fell to her ankles in a full skirt. The bodice was fitted and scoop-necked, falling just below her delicate collarbones. The fitted sleeves fell to just below the elbows. Her hair was gathered back from the temples and fell in soft curls to her waist.   
  
He sighed. "This is so strange. I hardly feel like I have a family and we're going to be here for a week. I feel like such an outsider, despite their best efforts."   
  
He gestured towards the house. "My nieces and nephew only know me as a half-remembrance and a name attached with ten-year-old holos on Nya's dresser. Anayl's been my most concrete connection to this world. Mostly because she's the most like me."   
  
Ana nodded. "This is a whole different dynamic for me, as well. Both my parents were Jedi; I had no siblings, no extended family. I've never had to worry about this sort of situation. I've been to Alderaan about three times since I was born there, all for missions."   
  
He nodded. "I can understand that."   
  
"So, what am I supposed to know?"   
  
He kissed her knuckles. "I'll tell you some other time. What are you out here for?"   
  
She glanced back towards the house. "Dinner's ready."   
  
He nodded and offered an arm. "Then, let's be going."   
  
CHAPTER 4   
  
Ana looked up from the datapad. "Where have you been?"   
  
Yrin tossed her a bag. "Picking something up for Lisaar."   
  
She opened the bag and removed a small flat object. "A coin?"   
  
He sat on the couch next to her. "A medallion. Every Jedi Knight from Corellia who attains the rank of Master is given one hundred commemorative medallions to give to friends, family, Padawans, and so forth." He took one. "The slang for them isn't that far off from your guess: JedCred."   
  
She laughed. "It fits."   
  
He tossed it back into the bag and took them. "So, what have you been up to?"   
  
"Catching up on the great literature of the Galaxy."   
  
He took the datapad and squinted. "Sharz Khe'lya?"   
  
"Bothan," she affirmed. "He's a political satirist. Very amusing, very obnoxious to the victims, very esoteric."   
  
"Something you'd definitely like, then."   
  
She threw the datapad at him. He caught it easily and lunged forward to grab her hand before she reached another impromptu missile. He yanked her forward and she twisted to land with her head in his lap.   
  
"You're incorrigible, you know that, don't you?"   
  
Someone cleared her throat. Ana looked towards the door to see Nya standing there, her arms folded.   
  
"Should I...leave you two alone?"   
  
Yrin grinned. "We were alone before you started spying on us."   
  
"Me? Spying?"   
  
Ana laughed and pressed a hand demurely to her sternum. "I think what she means is, 'Me? Caught spying?'"   
  
"Fine," Nya snapped. "I'll just erase the urgent message, then."   
  
Ana sat up abruptly. "What message?"   
  
"Someone named Yova or Yodve? Can't speak in normal sentences?"   
  
"Yoda," Yrin breathed.   
  
"Right."   
  
Ana shot to her feet. "Is there a private comm line we can view it on?"   
  
"At the end of the hall."   
  
Yrin followed her in. She sat and called up the message. "You listen to it and summarize."   
  
Yrin put on the headset and listened closely. His face drooped into a frown and went white. He gripped her arm, then tore off the headset and stood.   
  
"What? What happened?"   
  
He rubbed his forehead. "The Council is sending us to Naboo as soon as we can get to the spaceport."   
  
"The one the Trade Federation is blockading?"   
  
"Was blockading," he corrected. "Their blockade was ended."   
  
"Then why are we being sent there in the middle of our vacation?"   
  
"They sent two Jedi to mediate the dispute between the Federation and the sovereignty. Subsequently, the Jedi found a Sith Lord there."   
  
"That's impossible," she breathed.   
  
"Apparently not," Yrin said. "They dueled the Lord and the Master was killed. The Padawan then killed the Sith Lord. We're being sent to investigate."   
  
"Understandable. Wherever the Sith who killed Master..."   
  
"Jinn," he supplied.   
  
She turned to stare at him. "Qui-Gon Jinn?"   
  
"Yes."   
  
"One of our best fighters?"   
  
He nodded solemnly.   
  
"Wherever the Sith who killed Master Jinn came from, there's going to be more."   
  
"How can you tell?"   
  
She shrugged. "When the Council wants something done, they don't send the entire Order. They send a team, as they're doing here. I have to believe that the Sith's Master is only a part of a coterie."   
  
"Right." He stood. "You get us packed; I'll break the news to my family."   
  
He opened the door to find Anayl and Neila waiting. "You have to leave," Anayl accused.   
  
"Yes."   
  
Ana moved past into the guestroom and began packing their things into the satchels they'd brought. She called a repulsorcar, then headed to the entryway.   
  
Yrin was wrapped in a tight embrace with Anayl. "You'd better write me every week or I'll come back to visit."   
  
"Promise?"   
  
He nodded. "Promise."   
  
He broke away and embraced his mother and other sister. "I'm sorry about this, but the Council has ordered us..."   
  
Neila waved it away. "Your father was the exact same way. Always running off to save the Galaxy when there were dishes to be done."   
  
Yrin laughed and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll miss you all."   
  
Neila handed him a small package. "A ryshcate for your birthday."   
  
A horn sounded outside. "That'll be the cab," Ana remarked.   
  
Neila descended upon her. "Take good care of him. He needs it."   
  
They embraced, then Ana followed Yrin out to the cab. "Docking bay 173 at Southport."   
  
He settled back into the seat and glanced back at the house. "Another abbreviated life moment."   
  
Ana took his hand and squeezed gently. "They understand."   
  
He nodded. "I'm not sure I do." He turned to smile at her. "It gets harder every time to say goodbye."   
  
"I know."   
  
She released her grip on his hand. "I hope there's less to this investigation than it appears. I've dealt enough with the Dark Side to know that it's not an experience I want to repeat."   
  
He glanced over. "I imagine no one wants to encounter it."   
  
She nodded. "We're here."   
  
She dropped a few coins into the slot and got out. "I'll make you a deal," she said. "I'll promise to memorize everything the Council's sent us in the way of briefing by the time we get there if you let me get a good night's sleep to prepare tonight."   
  
He nodded and handed her satchel over. "Fair enough."   
  
The guard straightened as they approached. Ana flashed her ID card. The guard looked them over, then waved them through. "Welcome back. Lieutenant Cesni has the information for you inside."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
She stepped through and turned to Yrin. "I'll see you tomorrow."   
* * *   
Ana ran a hand over the intricate coil of braids that her hair was plaited into and used a calming technique on her frazzled nerves.   
  
"Don't worry about it."   
  
She frowned deeply at him. "It's our first official mission together and you're not worried?"   
  
He grinned. "If I botch it, you'll surely be able to recover the lost ground."   
  
"That's encouraging."   
  
The doors open and they strode down the long aisle to the semicircle of chairs where Amidala and her Council were seated. Six robed handmaidens stood behind the Queen.   
  
The Queen was as elaborate and beautiful as the rumors had hinted at. She was sheathed in petal-like layers of royal blue loveti moth silk from collarbone to ankles, with a gold-brocaded cloak hanging from her shoulders. Her hair was done up in an elaborate coif that added at least two inches to her perceived height.   
  
_I wonder how much of the planetary budget could be eradicated if she dressed normally._   
  
_You're just jealous._   
  
_I'm a Jedi. Jealousy doesn't come with the vocabulary._   
  
They stopped just inside the circle and bowed. The Queen dipped her head respectfully, but did not rise. "It is our honor to welcome the Jedi Knights to our fair planet once more."   
  
"Thank you, Your Majesty."   
  
"What can we do to help?"   
  
Ana let her arms dangle at her sides. "We will need access to all areas which pertain to the Sith attack. We will need any and all information on the Sith Lord; we will need to speak with the Neimoidian viceroy. Who was he in contact with here?"   
  
"He liaised, to our knowledge, with only the viceroy and his staff," a stately gentleman interjected.   
  
Yrin focused his gaze on him. "You are Governor Sio Bibble?"   
  
"Yes," Bibble affirmed. "I was kept out of the camps, so I was the only governmental official in contact with the Neimoidians. The Sith Lord usually remained on his ship, so I did not meet him more than once."   
  
_Sith, we didn't even think about his mode of transportation._   
  
"We will need access to his ship as well. I assume that it is still on-planet?"   
  
"You are correct."   
  
"That is all we require for now."   
  
"Padme and Eirtae, my handmaidens, will show you to your quarters."   
  
They bowed at the dismissal and followed the flame-robed handmaidens out of the throne room. Four minutes later, they arrived at quarters three times the size of a suite in the Temple.   
  
Padme turned and bowed. "I trust these will be satisfactory."   
  
"Yes, Your Highness."   
  
Her mouth twitched. "I should have known they'd warn you about that."   
  
"They try not to leave us blind about this sort of thing," Ana said wryly.   
  
"Katran Meyuc, my attaché, will be at your disposal for any of your needs."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
"Have you eaten?"   
  
Yrin shrugged. "Not since this morning."   
  
"Dinner will be at 1900. If you wish, I will have something sent over for the interim."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
They left and Ana sat on the plush sofa. "All right. We've got a few hours before then, so we should get working."   
  
"I'll take the Sith's ship."   
  
"I'll do a deep meditation at the battle site, see if I can get anything from there."   
  
"Good idea." He pulled her to her feet. "Let's get to work."   
  
CHAPTER 5   
  
"Right through there. There's not much to see."   
  
Ana turned and looked around the reactor chamber. "I'm not here to look, Lieutenant. Thank you for your help."   
  
She settled into a meditative stance and closed her eyes, calming her thoughts and letting the Force open her senses to her surroundings.   
  
_A flash of red at the edge of her vision forced her to turn and block a vicious blow. She stepped back and swung in low. The Sith turned and ran towards the reactor chamber. She sprinted after him, but was cut off by a laser barrier. She caught her breath and stood firm.   
  
The Sith flicked his saber against the barrier, taunting her. She dropped into a meditative stance, blocking out the image of the pacing predator to calm her thoughts and focus her energies.   
  
As soon as the barrier shut off, she sprang forward, saber igniting and attacking in one swift movement. The Sith parried, but retreated under the force of the blows. For a moment, she thought she was gaining the advantage.   
  
A sudden blow of the elbow to her chin sent her staggering back and in that moment the Sith ran her through just below the sternum. Her breath left her in a soft, agonized groan and she fell to the side.   
  
She was barely aware of the ensuing duel, only of the fire radiating from the wound. Darkness nibbled at the edge of her vision, but she fought it off.   
  
Then someone was cradling her head in his lap. She gasped, summoning her strength to speak..._   
  
"Ana."   
  
She sat up with a jolt, gasping for breath. She threw out a hand to steady herself and Yrin wrapped an arm around her shoulders, supporting her.   
  
"Are you all right?"   
  
"I was trying to get some sense of the Sith Lord, but I think I got the aftertaste of Master Jinn's experience instead." She rested her head against his chest. "I thought you were going to search the Sith's ship."   
  
"I finished that two hours ago."   
  
"Two hours," she breathed. "How long have I been here?"   
  
"Four hours."   
  
He helped her to her feet. "We've been invited to a formal dinner in an two hours. Formal dress required."   
  
She groaned. "I didn't bring any formalwear, since we weren't supposed to be having any dinners with royalty on our vacation."   
  
"I'm sure you could find something suitable in the time left."   
  
She glanced towards the throne room. "Undoubtedly."   
* * *   
Yrin looked up as Ana entered, resplendent in a deep red velvet brocaded gown. "How much did that set us back?"   
  
"Not as much as you might think." She tugged at the shoulder.   
"The vendor not only was an Alderaanian, but felt indebted to the Jedi for saving her husband during the blockade. She nearly gave it to me, but I insisted on paying for at least some of it."   
  
"It's nice."   
  
She sat down opposite him. "What did you find on the ship?"   
  
"Nothing much. DNA samples, information on the Naboo. Records of connection traces on holocommunications. The dialogues between him and his Master were inconclusive; no identities revealed. The Master was sending through a relay post in the Ketaris Sector, but one direct comm came through the Senate Wing of the Palace."   
  
Ana grimaced. "So, not only do we have a Sith Master, we have a highly-placed Sith Master."   
  
"That's about the scope of things."   
  
She rubbed her temples. "I'm going to have a talk with the viceroy tomorrow. He probably knows more about the Sith than any of our searches can produce."   
  
"Good. I'll send off the data we collected to the Temple, see if they can run any checks and cross-identify our mysterious Sith Lord." He shut off the datapad. "For now, you'll have to excuse me. I have a dinner date with the woman of my dreams."   
  
She folded her arms. "We're not supposed to flirt with the locals."   
  
Yrin laughed. "Is that what you are these days?"   
  
She tossed a pillow at him. "What, have you been reading trashy romance sagas?"   
  
"Something like that," he teased.   
  
He stood and pulled her to her feet. "Shall we be going?"   
* * *   
Ana showed her identification at the door, then stepped through into the viceroy's holding cell.   
  
The viceroy looked up, his face unreadable. "Jedi," he spat. "I suppose you're the one sent to kill me."   
  
"It is out of our jurisdiction and out of character." She spread her hands. "I am here for nothing but information."   
  
"I will not give you anything."   
  
"What possible gain can you hope to achieve by holding back?"   
  
"I am a condemned man. I will at least die with my dignity."   
  
Ana narrowed her eyes. "You will give us the information we ask for so you will not die a puppet."   
  
"Better a puppet of Lord Sidious than a friend of weakness."   
  
The guard stepped forward. "You will show the proper respect for the Jedi Knights."   
  
Ana held up a hand. "Thank you, Ensign. I am quite accustomed to dealing with the disrespectful. I can handle this myself."   
  
She turned her coldest glare on the smirking viceroy. "Now, viceroy, you will tell me everything I ever need to know about the Naboo blockade."   
* * *   
"Remind me never to pull interrogation duty again."   
  
Yrin moved over to let her lay down on the couch. "The viceroy was that charming, eh?"   
  
She nodded and flopped onto her back. "I was on the verge of doing an intensive mind probe on that slimy cretin. He considered it a blow to his personal honor to give me information." She looked up. "Please, tell me we have something from the Temple archives."   
  
"We certainly do."   
  
He pulled up a file and handed the datapad to her. "Khameir. Lost on a mission when he was sixteen about ten years ago. Presumed dead. From Coruscant."   
  
She arched an eyebrow. "Homegrown evil."   
  
"Pretty much."   
  
"That's certainly encouraging. Any leads on where he might have been for the last ten years?"   
  
"Nothing."   
  
"Well, the viceroy says the communiqués from Khameir's Master came through the same relay station that the ship's records showed."   
  
Ana rested her hand against her forehead. "Not everything is easy," she groaned.   
  
He laughed and turned to look at her. "You think?"   
  
She sat up and removed her cloak. "I can't believe this whole thing."   
  
"We've been counting on our only enemies being the bureaucrats and over-eager politicians for all this time."   
  
"The tangible enemies, at least," she said quietly.   
  
He shot her an odd look, but no explanation was forthcoming. "Of course."   
  
She reached into her satchel and removed a small package. "Happy birthday."   
  
He grinned. "How'd you know?"   
  
She shrugged. "I figured your mother didn't make you a ryshcate to freeze for six weeks or so, so I gave Lisaar a call when we got here."   
  
He took it and unwrapped it. "A book."   
  
She brushed her hair from her face. "And a reader card, either."   
  
He narrowed his eyes. "I know what a book is." He smiled. "Tarhan. Mon Calamari?"   
  
She nodded. "One of my favorite philosophers. The symbolism gets a little esoteric sometimes, but he's absolutely brilliant."   
  
"I didn't take you for a fan of Force-blind philosophy."   
  
She grinned. Khil wanted to me to be well-rounded, so he had me read as much literature and philosophy as I could bear and then some."   
  
He laughed and leaned over to kiss her quickly. "Thank you."   
  
She blushed. "You're welcome."   
  
He stood and pulled her gently to her feet. "Let's break out the ryshcate."   
* * *   
Ana awoke abruptly, heart pounding, breath coming in ragged gulps. An unshakable sense of danger drove into the recesses of her mind like a spike.   
  
She sat up and reached for her robe. Almost as an afterthought she stretched out her hand and called it to her hand.   
  
Halfway there, a hand reached out and caught it. A hum split the night and she caught her breath as the recognized the sound of a Sith lanvarok activating. Then her saber came on, highlighting a hooded figure.   
  
Ana stood, her hand finding a datapad, and dropped into a low guard stance, opening her senses.   
  
The first blow came in high. She swung the datapad up to block the swing. The effort nearly succeeded, but the saber arced in, severing her left arm just below the elbow. She dropped to her knees and dropped the impromptu guard. She leaned on her right arm and swung a hook kick straight into her assailant's left wrist. The lightsaber dropped from the hand and she caught it, igniting it before the next attack could come.   
  
Ana stood and swung in at the blade. The Sith changed the angle of the grip and drove in with the lower point of the curved blade. The blade drove hard into her abdomen, forcing her to bend forward. The next blow cleaved her from left shoulder to the tip of her sternum. While the blade was pulling free, she swung in towards the Sith's head.   
  
Just before the swing would have decapitated her opponent, she shut the blade off and pummeled the Sith just above his ear. He dropped, unconscious, to the floor and she collapsed to her knees.   
  
Yrin appeared belatedly in the door, saber ignited. "It's all right," she gasped. "He's unconscious."   
  
He switched on the light. "Sithspawn," he breathed.   
  
"Exactly." She held up a hand. "Get Security before he wakes up."   
  
He pulled a commlink and dialed to the security frequency. "This is Knight Llyr in the west wing. We need Security officers here now."   
  
"There should be some in your area."   
  
He grimaced. "We had an assassination attempt. I doubt any of them are alive."   
  
The Security officer swore. "We'll have someone there shortly."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
He caught her around the shoulders and lifted her onto the bed. "Sith, what happened?"   
  
She grimaced. "Misdirection."   
  
He laughed. "I can't believe you fell for that."   
  
"Yeah, not one of my most brilliant strokes."   
  
He turned as Security arrived. "I need to get my partner to Medical. Can you take care of this?"   
  
"Yes, sir."   
  
Yrin lifted her gently into his arms and moved past the officers. "I can walk, you know," she said wryly.   
  
"Don't you dare," he snapped. "I don't want to have to explain myself to Khil or the Council."   
  
She rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the heart-felt concern."   
  
"I'm your partner. I do the best I can."   
  
A security detail pushing an empty medevac stretcher in front of them intercepted them. "We'll take it from here, sir."   
  
Yrin set her on the stretcher, then raised her hand to his lips. "I'll see you on the other side."   
  
One officer remained behind. "If you'll come with me, sir, we need to make a report."   
  
Yrin nodded. "I must contact my superiors first, if you don't mind. The situation is a lot worse than we expected."   
  
CHAPTER 6   
  
"Looking good."   
  
Ana looked up and smiled. "It wasn't too bad. I go into shock all the time."   
  
"The arm looks almost real."   
  
She nodded. "They couldn't quite get my tan right, but it's not as if anyone will notice."   
  
"Right." He sat next to her. "The good news is that you'll be out of here tonight and the Council has recalled us."   
  
"And the bad news?"   
  
He grimaced. "We have to hitch a ride with the Sith."   
  
She caught her breath. "They've got to be kidding."   
  
"The Sith will be in confinement and under sedation, of course, but they didn't want to make two trips and the Council wants to be the judiciary authority on the matter."   
  
She rubbed her shoulder absently. "It's only a few days in hyperspace, right?"   
  
"Correct," he affirmed.   
  
She smiled. "I think I can live with that."   
  
He nodded. "As if we had any choice about it." He stood. "I need to go prepare us for departure. I'll be back in two hours to release you from this prison."   
  
She took his hand and squeezed it. "I'll be waiting."   
* * *   
Ana gazed out the window. "I think I have a curse on me. It seems every time I leave this planet, I return on a medevac shuttle."   
  
Yrin glanced over and offered a wry smile. "Knowing your propensity for injury, I'm not surprised."   
  
"Even on my first mission with Khil I managed to return with a skull fracture."   
  
He grimaced. "You're incorrigible."   
  
She grinned broadly. "Coming from you, that's quite a compliment."   
  
She craned her neck. "Looks like we have a welcoming committee."   
  
He leaned over. "I hope the security isn't for us."   
  
"Well, our two former Masters are certainly there and I'm more intimidated by that than by the military escort."   
  
He laughed. "I should have known they couldn't let this alone."   
  
She unstrapped and stood. "Let's go meet the public."   
  
The landing ramp lowered and she ran down it into Khil's waiting arms. He crushed her in an embrace, then pulled back and smiled. "I knew I couldn't leave you alone for five minutes without you getting into some kind of trouble."   
  
She shrugged. "We went to Naboo to find the Sith and succeeded. It's not my fault I nearly got assassinated."   
  
"Have you seen him?"   
  
"Only by the glow of a lightsaber," Ana said. "He should be forthcoming soon."   
  
He ran a hand along the fresh scar tissue at her shoulder. "I see you have a few souvenirs of your first mission."   
  
"A lot less expensive than some of the Battle of Naboo action figures they're selling over there," she said with a smile. "Though Llyr here got the Queen Amidala and the Jedi for purposes of hero-worship."   
  
The clang of boot on metal forced her to turn around for her first view of the Sith.   
  
The girl's petite frame and exotic beauty startled her. Her waist-length black hair was pulled back in a long braid, exposing a firm set to her delicate jawline, sculpted features, and deep grey eyes. The intricate red and black tattooing along her collarbonesand the crusted flesh above her left ear were the only indication that she was even the assailant.   
  
Ana caught her breath as she passed, unable to take her eyes from her. Yrin was instead watching Ana.   
  
"She's not what I expected," he commented.   
  
"She's beautiful," she breathed.   
  
"Most assassins are," he quipped. "It's a kind of fatal attraction trait."   
  
She turned to whack him on the arm. "You're not funny."   
  
He shrugged. "I never claimed I was."   
  
She smiled. "True."   
  
Khil linked arms with her. "If you're done staring, we have your new quarters ready for you."   
* * *   
Ana turned and bowed. "Master Kenobi, a pleasure to see you again."   
  
Obi-wan Kenobi returned the bow, as did the tow-headed boy at his side. "I hear you ran into another Sith."   
  
She nodded solemnly, swiping a hand across her brow. "As did you. I'm so sorry about Master Jinn. I had great respect for him."   
  
"As did we all." He gestured to his companion. "This is my Padawan, Anakin Skywalker. Anakin, this is Ana Majav."   
  
She smiled. "So you're the one that's causing so much commotion in the Temple gossip rings."   
  
"That would be him," Kenobi confirmed. "Ana is one of the best swordsman to use the butterfly method."   
  
"Like Master Waqkem," Anakin said.   
  
Ana nodded. "I've dueled Kem a few times. Can't say I fared too well."   
  
"No one could," Kenobi said with a grin. "She's vicious and, what's worse, she's accurate."   
  
"Has he started his saber training yet?"   
  
"Not yet."   
  
She pushed her hair behind her shoulders and held up her saber. "It's best if he learns in all six grips."   
  
"Six," they both echoed.   
  
She tossed it from one hand to the other, then slid her hand back to the butterfly handles and repeated the process. She then demonstrated the two-handed grip in extension and full grip.   
  
"I was trained that way, but your Master has done even better limiting himself to only three, as has my partner." She craned her neck to see Yrin enter. "Speaking of which..."   
  
Yrin bowed to them all. "I just talked to Khil. He wants us to meet him at his quarters as soon as we can get there. It's rather urgent."   
  
She nodded, then turned to the two visitors. "If you'll excuse us, duty calls."   
  
"Understood," Kenobi said, bowing.   
  
She pulled on her shoes and followed Yrin to Khil's quarters. Master Khil stood as they entered.   
  
"Thank you for coming." He gestured to his left and a willowy girl of twelve stepped into view. "This is my new Padawan, Lia Tarnat."   
  
They bowed and the girl returned the gesture. Ana caught sight of the fresh bandaging on the girl's hand from the bonding of the Anithai that every Padawan and Master went through.   
  
"An honor to meet you," Ana said.   
  
"Ana here was my last victim."   
  
Ana took a seat and folded her hands in her lap. "What's so urgent?"   
  
"The Council has called Lisaar and I on a mission, based on the information the assassin gave us. We'll be going to Byss on a scouting mission."   
  
Ana caught her breath. "The Sith stronghold?"   
  
He nodded. "I'm not taking Lia because of the risk involved, so the Council wants you to watch over her until we return."   
  
"All right. When do you leave?"   
  
"Tomorrow at the fourth hour. I'll bring her to the practice arena at the third hour so there will be no rush." He frowned. "Another thing. If we don't return in six weeks, you two are being sent in after us."   
  
She grimaced. "In that case, we'll see you in five."   
* * *   
Ana took a running start and launched into a roundoff, then leapt into a layout, landed in a back handspring, then did a triple somersault, ending in a punch front flip.   
  
Her toe caught in a seam on the floor and she went crashing onto her stomach, her chin bouncing off the flooring.   
  
"And there she is."   
  
She rolled onto her back and vaulted to her feet. "Perfect timing as always."   
  
Khil bowed and she returned the gesture. She turned to Lia and bowed. "Good to see you again. We'll be staying in your regular quarters for the time being."   
  
"Thank you," the girl said quietly.   
  
Khil turned to Lia and bent down to embrace her quickly. "I'll be back soon. For now, don't let Ana drive you out of the Order."   
  
Ana smiled. "I'll try not to corrupt her too much. That's your privilege."   
  
Khil opened his arms and she embraced him tightly. "I'd better see you before I can even start to miss you."   
  
"I'll do my best."   
* * *   
"Hold on."   
  
Ana removed her saber from her belt and held it up. "You're relying too much on the grip. A lightsaber isn't a smashball bat; it's a delicate weapon." She held it out to Lia. "Take mine for a minute. I want you to work on the five-cuts drill using the butterfly handles. It will teach you the proper reliance on the material."   
  
"Ana."   
  
Ana turned to see Yrin at the door of the practice arena. "Keep working," she instructed Lia. "News?"   
  
He nodded. "The Council has ordered us to Byss to go after Khil and Lisaar."   
  
Her heart sank straight into her stomach. "It's only been two weeks."   
  
"They've disappeared," he said quietly. "We're to leave as soon as we can get to the roofport. A speeder's waiting there to take us to Eastport. We're flying ourselves this time."   
  
"What about Lia?"   
  
"She'll be going to classes and staying in the initiate quarters until we return."   
  
Ana sagged. "All right, let's get her installed, then get going."   
  
Twenty minutes later, they were in hyperspace. Yrin found Ana in the bunkroom, curled into a ball, her arms wrapped around her knees.   
  
"Are you all right?"   
  
She nodded, her face drawn. He crossed to her side and rested a hand on her arm. "You don't exactly look it."   
  
"It's a long story," she said in a strained voice. "Someday I'll tell you about it."   
  
"Someday when we're seventy and too senile to care?"   
  
She allowed a small smile. "Hopefully sooner, but I can't make any guarantees."   
  
"I'll be waiting, then." He pulled gently at her arms. "Come on. We need to get a few things over with today."   
  
"It's four days to Byss."   
  
He pulled her to her feet and headed for the hold. "Yes, but the tattoos have to heal before then."   
  
"Tattoos?"   
  
"Absolutely. We can't very well infiltrate a planet full of Sith without looking like them."   
  
She groaned. "I expect they'll want us to do it the authentic way, as well."   
  
"Which is?"   
  
She grabbed a vibroblade and tossed it to him. "You game?"   
  
His shoulders sagged. "You've got to be kidding."   
  
She picked up the datacards the Council Archivist had sent over. "These probably say the exact same thing."   
  
"How would you know?"   
  
"Sith ritual and lore is a bit of a hobby. The initiation is invariably the first markings, made with the initiate's own blood and a laser tattooing process. It's a slightly perverse version of the Anithai. The females get it on their shoulders, the males on their face. Since we're only supposed to be Sith apprentices, we only need to border your face, instead of covering it. In the old days, they'd just stab you several times, then use ash to tattoo designs and let the rest scar over. After technology took hold, it became a little more precise."   
  
"How comforting," he growled.   
  
She grinned and pulled up the files. "I was right. Do we have a laser cutter?"   
  
He gestured to a pile. "They sent along everything we'd need."   
  
She held out her hand. "I'll go first. I don't want you burning me alive with an unsteady hand."   
  
He hesitated. "Are you sure?"   
  
"Oh, you're such a baby."   
  
She snatched the blade up and, before he could make a move to stop her, slashed her palm open. She held her dripping palm over the vial and waited for a sufficient amount to collect, then bound her hand with a bandage and mixed in the chemical adhesive.   
  
"Now what," Yrin asked, slightly sickened.   
  
"You get to play artist."   
  
He stared at her. "Exactly how?"   
  
She gestured to the datacard. "There's a list of traditional patterns there. Then you use the load the mixture into the laser cutter. You burn away the flesh in the pattern and the mixture drips into the open wound. It adheres to the skin and you have instant Sith."   
  
He loaded the mixture in and grinned. "Just what I always wanted."   
* * *   
Yrin inspected her handiwork, then frowned. "I don't like it. Can't I get a refund?"   
  
Ana set down the cutter and clasped her hands in her lap. "Come on, you look just as evil as I do."   
  
"You look evil. I just look stupid."   
  
Her eyes narrowed. "Thanks."   
  
He stood and stretched. "Someday my kids will ask my why I look so stupid and I'll have to tell them that their mother just got overeager with a deadly weapon."   
  
She laughed. "Did you just say what I think you did?"   
  
He grimaced. "Yes."   
  
She blushed. "I think it's one of those 'will of the Force' things our Masters were always lecturing us about."   
  
"Undoubtedly." He sat and buried his face in his hands. "I'm sorry. It just came out that way."   
  
She grinned. "I've suspected it for a while."   
  
He lifted his head and grinned. "Really."   
  
She nodded solemnly. "I had a little help. I hear you love anyone with a good Paparak cross-cut."   
  
He snorted. "I knew it."   
  
"And I suspect Anayl knows."   
  
He nodded. "First person I told."   
  
She pressed her hands to her lips. "So that's what you two were talking about that day on the balcony. I should have known."   
  
He laughed. "Will you stop obsessing over the events surrounding and put me out of my misery?"   
  
She arched an eyebrow. "How?"   
  
"By telling me if the feeling's mutual."   
  
She leaned over and kissed him, lingering a bit. "Llyr, you have nothing to worry about."   
  
CHAPTER 7   
  
"Welcome to Byss. I am Chaver, the leader of the training facility."   
  
Yrin bowed. "You have training facilities here."   
  
Chaver turned a toothy grin on them. "We are much like the Jedi Temple, without the weakness. We have apprentices, training centers, and a Council of Lords.   
  
"Since many of us were converted straight from the Temple, we try to keep as many structural similarities in place to ease the transition."   
  
"Understandable," Ana commented, her face expressionless, her sense carefully guarded. "I am Yal Lwhar and this is Corven Dalt. We are in training under Lord Sidious."   
  
"Ah, yes. It has been a long time since of his apprentices has visited here."   
  
"We are only here to restock and refuel and observe your facility for a day. Then we must go to other missions."   
  
He gestured towards the compound. "We will accommodate you however you require."   
  
"Do you get many outsiders here?"   
  
"Not without our permission. The weak sent us a team; we took great pleasure in killing them."   
  
Yrin caught himself before he could react. He saw Ana's features droop a little, then return to the stoic expression she'd been wearing since departing the shuttle.   
  
"I pity their students. Their ineffectuality breeds nothing but weakness."   
  
"How many do you have here?"   
  
"In total, three hundred seventeen. More than half of them are combat-ready warriors. The Jedi are completely unaware of our strength."   
  
"Indeed," Yrin said quietly.   
  
Ana glanced into a practice arena, where two apprentices were sparring with lanvaroks. "What is your dueling training regimen like?"   
  
Chaver gestured back towards the arena. "Most of our training is with lanvaroks, since it's better for assassination and such things. However, we insist that they also train with a lightsaber. We often combine them in duels. Gives more versatility to their tactical skills."   
  
He turned. "Which do you use?"   
  
Ana shrugged. "I know both. The lightsaber may be an effective weapon for a clean kill if wielded by a timid user. But the lanvarok is a more hands-on weapon. I prefer it."   
  
"I favor the lightsaber," Yrin said simply.   
  
Chaver nodded to him, then faced forward and turned into a side corridor. Eight doors down, he palmed the door open and ushered them in.   
  
"Which of you is the better swordsman?"   
  
"She is."   
  
Chaver smiled. "We will have to have you duel with one of our warriors, then. Give you something to tell your master."   
  
She bowed. "I look forward to it."   
  
"The day commences at dawn; dueling is at the third hour. Evening meal is in three hours. I will have someone see to your supply needs before then."   
  
"Thank you."   
  
As soon as he left, Yrin slumped into a sitting position. "Well, we found out what happened to Khil and Lisaar."   
  
Ana sat heavily on the bed, her hands pressed flat against her abdomen. "This is the second Master I've lost to the Dark Side."   
  
Yrin's head came up. "What?"   
  
She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin on top of them. "I was taken as a Padawan when I was ten. At twelve, my Master brought me before the Council and made horrible allegations about my conduct. I was put on probation and suspension. He then took me to Raltiir and tried to turn me to the Dark Side. He'd beat me and starve me. When the Council sent a mediator after him, he killed her. I took up arms against him and he nearly killed me as well.   
  
"Master Khil and Lisaar, since they were partners, arrived the next day and found me. Khil took me as his Padawan and for our first mission, we went after my former Master. I escaped with a skull fracture and burns, but Khil had to kill my Master."   
  
Yrin swore. "Why didn't you tell me this before?"   
  
"My first Master was my father and the mediator sent after him was my mother," she said quietly. "It's not something I enjoy discussing."   
  
He nodded. "And now the Dark has taken away your Master."   
  
She squeezed her eyes shut. "I can't shake the feeling that they know that there are certain protective barriers around me and they're stripping them away one by one."   
  
He crossed to her and wrapped her in an embrace. Her posture relaxed and she rested her cheek against his chest. "You forgot about one impenetrable barrier."   
  
"You," she guessed skeptically.   
  
He shook his head. "Experience."   
  
She laughed. "Touché."   
  
He pulled away and forced a smile. "Hard as it is to believe, this mission, as well as every other the Council sends us on, will be for our good in some way."   
  
She winced. "You sound exactly like Lisaar."   
  
His smile spread. "I'll take that as a compliment. Now, let's get to work."   
* * *   
"Yal Lwhar, this is Kavre Raas, your opponent."   
  
Ana eyed to the taller man, then straightened and adjusted her grip on the handle of the lanvarok. Like her, Raas wore black slacks and a sleeveless black tunic. He had a half-foot on her, but that didn't necessarily mean a disadvantage.   
  
"You will duel until one of you is rendered unconscious or dead. You are restrained from nothing. You may use all weapons of mind and the temporal world that you choose. You may begin when ready."   
  
Raas bent in the customary bow. She began the same gesture, but snapped upright and vaulted into the air, scissors-kicking him in the face. He staggered back and she landed in a forward lunge. She advanced and swung the lanvarok in a controlled arc towards his shoulder.   
  
He sidestepped the arc and caught it on the upper edge of his blade. He deftly swung the lower half of the weapon in towards her, but experience caused her to block that shot, instead taking a neat slice to her shoulder. She set her jaw and rammed her elbow into his throat area.   
  
Her elbow hit air as he had leapt over head. She snapped her weapon up, slashing his leg open. He landed less than gracefully, but recovered his balance.   
  
She followed with a Paparak crosscut, the strikes interspersed with kicks and knife hands to sensitive spots on his neck, shoulders, and lower anatomy.   
  
He stepped almost parallel to her, then whirled and struck a blow at her spine, ripping her back open from the nape of her neck to the small of her back.   
  
She allowed a small gasp, but used his momentary preoccupation to spin away. The lanvarok was torn from his grasp and fell to the ground. She drove the tip of her weapon through his shoulder and he doubled over in pain.   
  
And in that moment, its path unobstructed, the lanvarok flew back to his hand.   
  
He stabbed straight out, nearly bisecting her face with the point of his lanvarok. She ducked back instinctively...   
  
And was thrown to the ground as his free hand erupted in lightning. She fought back the barrage and struggled to her feet, then collapsed again. Wave after wave of Force lightning slammed into her and she felt her strength ebbing.   
  
The lightning stopped and he stepped in to deliver the killing blow. She propped herself onto her elbows and swept her left leg through his knees. He tumbled to the side and she vaulted to her feet.   
  
Raas regained his balance just in time for her to leap into the air. She locked her feet around his neck and flipped backwards, slamming him headfirst into the ground.   
  
She jumped back into a guard stance, waiting for him to rise again, but the unnatural angle of his neck clued her in to reality.   
  
"Majav."   
  
She spun to stare at Chaver. There was no anger in his expression, only grim acknowledgment.   
  
"You could inherit a noble tradition of strength and greatness."   
  
She drew herself up to her full height, despite her injuries. "Nobility, strength, and greatness cannot be measured in blood, but in defense of justice. I see no honor in your traditions."   
  
For a moment, she was sure that she had signed her own death warrant. Chaver stared at her, then nodded slowly.   
  
"Tell your Council we are indeed here and ready to rise again. Leave now."   
  
Ana set her jaw. "We're not leaving here until you have returned the lightsabers of the two Jedi who came before us."   
  
"We cannot do that," Chaver said.   
  
"Whether we have to kill half this installation to get them or if you give them to us as proof of your noble tradition, it matters not. But we are not leaving this planet without them."   
  
Chaver hesitated, then held up a hand. A younger apprentice approached and handed her a small bag containing the weapons.   
  
She bowed to Chaver, then turned and stormed back to the compound, Yrin following her closely.   
  
She didn't speak until they reached their quarters, then whirled to face him. "Can you get our things prepared?"   
  
Her voice was strained, her eyes tense. "Yes. You're hurt. We should..."   
  
"I know," she snapped. Her features softened. "Please, I just want to get off this planet."   
  
He nodded and helped her to the bed. She shook her head. "No, if I lie down, I won't get up again for a while. I'll take a chair."   
  
Ten minutes later, he made the jump to hyperspace. Ana was strapped into a medbunk in the back.   
  
He brushed a stray lock of hair from her forehead and smiled. "How are you feeling?"   
  
"Not too bad," she said wryly. "We need to stop the bleeding and I have a lightsaber. Would you care to do the honors?"   
  
"Cauterizing?"   
  
She nodded and rolled onto her side. "I'll tell you at what depth to stop."   
  
He activated the saber and rested a hand on her shoulder. She reached up to intertwine her fingers with his.   
  
"Ready?"   
  
She nodded and squeezed her eyes shut. "Get it over with quickly."   
  
He took a deep breath and jammed the ignited saber against the gash. Her fingers tightened around his, nearly crushing the bone.   
  
"Deeper," she grated out.   
  
He angled the blade deeper by a few centimeters before she indicated for him to stop. He retracted the blade and her grip on his fingers loosened.   
  
"Thank you," she whispered.   
  
She collapsed onto her stomach and buried her face in the pillow, her shoulders heaving with silent sobs. Yrin placed a hand on her head, drawing out the pain and shunting it throughout his body to where it languished in a dull ache.   
  
She pushed herself up on trembling forearms and turned a weary smile at him. "I think we need to get this bandaged."   
  
"Agreed."   
  
He helped her into a more comfortable position, then retrieved the medkit. "Hope you don't mind, but I'm going to have to have you take some of your clothes off to do this."   
  
She blushed, but nodded. "Help me?"   
  
He gently removed her tunic and undergarment, trying to avert his eyes as much as possible as he swathed her in bandages. His eye caught some nasty burns, undoubtedly from the lightning.   
  
"Those burns need some work."   
  
She shrugged. "It's not the first time I've had them. I can make it to Coruscant."   
  
"Brilliant fighting back there, Majav."   
  
She grimaced. "If I hadn't adhered so strictly to the Temple sparring rules, I might have gotten away unscathed."   
  
"More along the lines of if he *had* adhered to the Temple rules, he wouldn't have ended up with a broken neck."   
  
She laughed softly. "Serves him right."   
  
He finished the bandaging job and inspected his handiwork. "That's what I love about you; your unerring sense of compassion."   
  
She smiled. "Is that all?"   
  
He gripped her hand and kissed the knuckles. "I don't have a very long list, but if you'll let me, I'll devote the rest of my life to figuring out the rest of it."   
  
Ana caught her breath. "Does that mean what I think it does?"   
  
"I don't know."   
  
She leaned in to stare him directly in the eyes. "Counselor, please rephrase the question."   
  
He reached up to cup her cheek in his hand. "I've never quite believed that the Force could give much clarity of thought, but Lisaar always told me that when I found the one person who could complete me, I would know it almost instantaneously.   
  
"He was right. From the moment I met you, I knew there was a reason we'd been brought together. It took me less than a week to realize what that reason is."   
  
She bit her lip. "You're getting to a point, I presume? Otherwise, I'll have to train you in the fine art of shutting up."   
  
"Marry me," he interjected.   
  
She smiled. "There, was that so hard?"   
  
"Stop stalling."   
  
"I'm a Majav; I'm obligated to make you sweat a little." She blinked and a tear trickled down her cheek. "I will."   
  
He grinned. "Are you sure?"   
  
"Absolutely." She leaned in and kissed him deeply. "That convince you?"   
  
He grinned. "Absolutely."   
* * *   
"Thank you for your report and your efforts. How is Knight Majav?"   
  
"Steadily improving. She should be out of the Healers' care within a few days."   
  
"Glad we are to hear that," Yoda interjected. "When wish you to be married?"   
  
"When the Council sees fit," Yrin said carefully.   
  
"Will twenty-three days be sufficient?"   
  
Yrin smiled slightly. "Yes, Master."   
  
"Contacted you will be."   
  
"For now, you and your partner are on detached duty," Ki-adi-mundi said. "You've had a busy few weeks. Take the time for training and meditation."   
  
"Yes, Master."   
  
"May the Force be with you."   
  
Yrin bowed, then exited the chambers. Lia sat, staring at her hands, in the foyer.   
  
"What's the verdict," Yrin asked quietly.   
  
Her head came up and he could see her unshed tears. "They're not letting Ana take me as her Padawan. I'll remain with the initiates until I'm thirteen or find a new Master."   
  
He sat next to her and rested a hand on her shoulder. "Finding a Master in three weeks shouldn't be hard. If it doesn't happen, you were meant to serve the Galaxy in a different capacity."   
  
She grimaced. "Another one of those elusive 'will of the Force' things?"   
  
Yrin laughed. "You catch on quickly."   
  
CHAPTER 8   
  
Ana flopped onto her bed and sighed deeply. "It's so good to be out of the medcenter."   
  
"What, you don't like healing trances and rancid food?"   
  
She smiled slightly. "In moderation, Llyr."   
  
He called up the messages on the comm system. "Hate to do this to you, but the Council wants to see you."   
  
She groaned. "When?"   
  
"In ten minutes."   
  
She stood and crossed to the storage unit. "Any other surprises I should know about?"   
  
"In about an hour, we're meeting a transport at Southport."   
  
She pulled on a fresh set of robes and released her hair from its bindings. "Mind telling me who's on the transport?"   
  
"It's a surprise."   
  
She made a face at him. "For that, you get to cook dinner tonight."   
  
"Fine; I'll make dinner reservations for us and our guests."   
  
She shrugged and pinned her braid into place. "Suit yourself."   
  
He offered an arm. "I'm due at the executioners just after you, so I'll walk you over."   
  
She slipped her arm through his. "What do you think they want?"   
  
"They probably want to debrief you individually, then give us another mission."   
  
She narrowed her eyes. "They wouldn't dare."   
  
He shrugged. "You never know. They interrupted our vacation; after that, I wouldn't be surprised by anything they did."   
  
Ana laughed. "Then why see us separately?"   
  
He grinned. "Patience, my young apprentice."   
  
"Who are you calling young?"   
  
The clerk looked up as they entered. "Knight Majav, you may go right in."   
  
Yrin released her arm and winked. "I'll see you on the other side."   
* * *   
Yrin fell in step with Ana. "So, what's the news?"   
  
She sighed. "They want me to take a Padawan."   
  
He grinned. "That's wonderful. Anyone in particular?"   
  
"The Sith," she said quietly.   
  
He caught her arm and she stopped, turning to face him. "What?"   
  
She winced. "I think it's a good idea. We have a common ground and the Council thinks it best that she have a Master with that sort of experience."   
  
"She doesn't have a Master?"   
  
"He refuses to have anything to do with her."   
  
"She tried to kill you."   
  
Ana frowned at him. "I'll have to talk to her about it, but I think it would be beneficial for both of us."   
  
"Does she have a name?"   
  
Ana smiled wistfully. "Ara Lhian. She's nineteen and from Chandrila. She also trained under Darth Sidious."   
  
Yrin's eyes went wide. "The Master of the Sith Lord at Naboo?"   
  
She nodded. "She doesn't know his name, since all Masters went by their Sith titles, but he is here on Coruscant and if she ever sees him, she will immediately know his face."   
  
She turned and resumed walking. "What did they want?"   
  
"I'm being partnered with another Alderaanian, Vanli Tzhakaran."   
  
Ana burst into laughter. "You're kidding. Of all the people..."   
  
"You know him?"   
  
"He's married to my best non-Jedi friend, Lanai."   
  
Yrin nodded. "Come on. We have to get to Southport."   
  
"Ah, yes; the surprise."   
  
Forty-five minutes later, they arrived at Southport. Yrin guided her to a landing pad. He pointed to an approaching transport. "There they are."   
  
"Am I ever going to find out who's on the transport."   
  
He shrugged. "Well, since we are to be married, I decided that my living family should know about it. They insisted on coming to prepare you for the experience."   
  
She stared at him, then turned to leave. He grinned and caught her arm. "It won't be so bad."   
  
Ana folded her arms. "I'm not so sure."   
  
He enfolded her in a tight embrace. "Just trust me on this."   
  
"You make it so difficult sometimes," she teased.   
  
"That's why you love me," he countered.   
  
"That's right," she said quietly.   
  
The shuttle touched down and the ramp descended. The next moment, Anayl bolted down the ramp and tackled Ana in an embrace, then broke away and crushed Yrin in a similar hug.   
  
Nya and Neila followed, repeating the procedure. Yrin held Neila at arm's length and grinned. "Did you bring the things I asked for?"   
  
"Of course."   
  
Ana linked her arm with Anayl. "More surprises, Yrin?"   
  
"Naturally."   
* * *   
Ana knocked tentatively at an unmarked door in the East wing of the Temple, then stepped back.   
  
"Come in."   
  
Ana opened the door and stepped through. Ara looked up from where she was sitting in the living room and smiled hesitantly.   
  
"You're unarmed."   
  
"There is nothing here to attack. I trust you enough to know that there is nothing to defend myself from."   
  
Ara stood and bowed. "I'm surprised to hear that word coming from you. Trust."   
  
"Why?"   
  
"I was assigned to kill you," she said quietly.   
  
"I do not care," Ana countered. "I once was the victim of the Dark Side, much like yourself. No person should be trapped by their past, nor let it destroy their future."   
  
She nodded. "So you wanted to see what you were getting into before you were forced to take me as your Padawan."   
  
Ana's eyes narrowed to slits and she let her arms drop to her sides. "Sit."   
  
Ara sat hesitantly. "A professor of philosophy once came to a Jedi Master. When they sat down for tea, the professor said, 'Tell me about the Force.' The Master then picked up the professor's cup and began to pour tea into it. He poured tea all the way up to the rim and kept on pouring. 'What are you doing? The cup's overflowing,'   
said the professor. The Master answered, 'How can I tell   
you about the Force when your head is already full of your   
own opinions?'"   
  
Ana bit her lip. "Your cup is cluttered, Ara Lhian. Before you can return to the Light Side, you must be willing to empty it.   
  
"As for your statement, I will not be forced into anything. If you will have me as your Master, it will be by mutual consent."   
  
She extended a hand. "What do you say? You were born into great potential for good. You have only let that power lay dormant for a little while."   
  
"For three years," Ara said shakily.   
  
"All paths are retraceable except those we do not turn from." She smiled. "You have taken the first steps. Would you allow me to be your guide on the remainder of this particular path?"   
  
Ara smiled. "Yes, Master."   
* * *   
"She said yes."   
Yrin looked up and smiled. "Glad to hear it. Now you can focus on more important things."   
Ana grinned. "Such as...?"   
"Tonight, I thought would be a good time to do the rights for Khil and Lisaar at the Memorial. And in the meantime, my females want to take you dress shopping and buy you lunch."   
She winced. "I don't think I'm living up to their standard of premarital enthusiasm."   
He arched an eyebrow. "Really."   
She shrugged. "I'm very excited and enthusiastic and everything they want to see in the future wife of their only son. But I don't believe in broadcasting it as loudly as they'd like."   
He laughed. "Don't worry about it."   
Ana sank into the couch and rested her head against his shoulder. "Why are they here?"   
"They're my family. They should have a part of this, if only to torture you."   
"So considerate of you to remember the real value of family," she said sardonically.   
He nodded solemnly. "It helps to remember the little people."   
Ana sighed. "I'd better go call them."   
"In the meantime, the Council wants us at Alderaan in three days."   
She halted midstep. "They want us *where?*"   
"It's a short-term assignment; some negotiations with counter-insurgents. We'd sit there for hours on end, enjoying the scenery, smooth a few feathers, then get back here in plenty of time for the wedding."   
"Wonderful," she growled. "Sometimes I have the undeniable urge to break my commlink in half."   
"That wouldn't stop them," he countered.   
"I know, but it would make me feel better." She checked her chrono. "When do you want to go to the Memorial?"   
"Three hours after dusk?"   
"I'll be back here an hour before then."   
He nodded. "I'll be waiting."   
* * *   
"Looks like you had some luck."   
Ana disappeared into the refresher. "You're going to love this."   
"How much did it cost?"   
"I'm not allowed to tell you, ever."   
"That means I really don't want to know, right?"   
"Exactly."   
"Can I see it?"   
"What do you think I'm doing right now?"   
He shifted in his seat. "Do you need some help getting into it?"   
"No."   
"Are you..."   
He trailed off as she exited and let out a low whistle. She blushed. "You like it?"   
Dumbstruck, he simply beckoned her closer. She approached, then, lifting the long skirt, turned to give him a full view.   
"You're right I don't want to know. What, did you steal this off Queen Amidala during that mission?"   
"It's an Alderaanian style, not Naboo."   
He placed his hands on her hips and drew her closer. She placed her hands behind her back and waited patiently for him to finish his appraisal. The gown was a shimmering cream silk, long-sleeved and v-necked with an intricate brocade of iridescent thread in a floral pattern with small gems threaded throughout the network of embroidery. The bodice fit close to her body, then flared out into a full, layered skirt that brushed the ground.   
He fingered the material then shook his head in amazement. "It's perfect."   
"I'm glad you agree."   
He handed her a package. "This is the surprise I had my family bring."   
She sat gingerly, being careful of the dress, and opened the first one. Inside was a small box. She opened it and gasped. "It's beautiful."   
The ring was four narrow bands intertwined with mother-of-pearl and gold with three Corusca gems.   
He took it and inspected it, then slid it onto her finger. "I told them to find something with a four-three combination for the four noble truths and the three forms of the Force."   
"It works," she said quietly.   
She pulled him in for a lingering kiss. "Thank you."   
She nodded. "I'd better go change. We have to leave soon if we're going to do the rites tonight."   
"I'll get everything prepared."   
Fifteen minutes later, they began the long descent to the Memorial. Ana remained silent until the turbolift reached the bottom level. The doors opened and they stepped through into the antechamber of the Memorial.   
Crescent-shaped and dimly lit, it had had always seemed foreboding to her. A breeze from an unseen source tugged at the edges of her robe, making her feel as though there were some unknown force acting upon her. The inscription above the door said that "Even the greatest spirits come to this place," but it was not comforting to her.   
She stepped towards the hexagonal door. Yrin gestured her forward and she stepping through the door when he caught her hand. She looked back, but he just smiled and nodded encouragingly.   
She stepped into the Memorial and involuntarily caught her breath. The sight of the Memorial chamber always amazed her, no matter how many times she'd seen it. The room was expansive in all directions, lit only from the eternal flame located in the center.   
Ana turned to take in the full view of the hall. The rows upon rows of memorial strips, honoring Jedi of all ages and statuses. She didn't know how long the Order had been honoring its fallen this way, but it seemed impossibly old, as if history itself had been trapped in this room.   
They crossed to the brazier where the flame was located and sat in meditation. Ana closed her eyes and sighed, opening her senses to the flow of the Force. She reached within, focusing on the spiritual core.   
_Ana straightened and stared at an unknown Master. She was in the Council chambers, alone in the speaker's circle. Ten of the Council members she recognized; the others were unfamiliar.   
She rested a hand on her abdomen. "I will not defer. Every day that we delay is a day that my husband succumbs more to the Dark Side."   
"It is not time. There is much that needs to happen before you and your Padawan will be ready to face this mission."   
"I am ready."   
"Our own counsel we will keep on how ready are you," Yoda said sternly.   
"If the issue is my Padawan, I will go alone."   
"This is a challenge Ara must face as well. But only when she is prepared."   
"No disrespect intended, Master, but this is not something that can be delayed. Yrin's soul is in great danger; if we hesitate for the time period you're talking about, we may lose him completely." Her voice broke. "I love him too much to let this happen."   
"You may have to."   
Ana drew herself up. "I will go alone if I must, but I cannot take this any more."   
"Decided this will be later. May the Force be with you."   
Ana bowed. When she straightened, the scene had changed. An elbow drove straight into her throat, knocking her to the ground. Yrin appeared above her, lanvarok in hand. She was trying to say something, but her voice wouldn't obey.   
He offered a grim smile, then swung the lanvarok. The blade bit deep into her throat and all went black._   
Ana's eyes flew open and she found her mouth filled with blood from a cut on her tongue. Yrin had a hand on her arm and was staring at her intently. She squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head. He squeezed her arm gently, then helped her stand.   
She moved to the brazier and applied light pressure to a small panel. It opened and a drawer appeared. She removed the base of Khil's lightsaber and removed the components. With a tweezers, she removed the green Adegan crystal and placed it into a small box at her belt. She replaced the components and resealed the base.   
Finally, she set the saber into the drawer and pressed a button. The drawer slid closed and she stepped back. In time, the generators would melt the control mechanisms. The warning beeps increased in volume and speed, then ended in a sharp rap. The scorched grip went onto a shelf near the brazier.   
Yrin repeated the process, then they went back to meditation. No visions came this time, so she focused on quieting her soul.   
Yrin retrieved two memorial strips and brought them to her. She produced an ink stone and brushes from her pocket and set them on the floor. She placed water on the ink stone and ground a dust of pigment from the surface. With careful strokes, she wrote "Sah Khil" in an ancient Corellian script that he had taught her many years ago. Next, she wrote "Lisaar" on the other strip. She let the ink dry, then held out Lisaar's strip to Yrin. He bowed solemnly, then stood and wandered the room, his eyes closed. At random, he stopped and ascended one of the ladders built into the wall. He attached it, then descended and sat in meditation for a few minutes.   
When he returned to his place, she stood and let the Force guide her to a place on the wall. She bent to attach the strip. Opening her eyes, she found the names of Tarsan and Sah Khil attached to each other.   
She sat in mediation, trying not to let the grief overwhelm her. She bent her head and buried it in her hands, letting emotion wash over her, cleansing her soul.   
Finally, she stood and rejoined Yrin. They bowed to the eternal flame, then exited the chamber.   
They knelt before the entrance to the chamber, in the final phase of the mourning rites. Yrin bowed his head and began the mourner's blessing.   
"Now is not the time for doubt or fear; now is not the time for sorrows; now is not even the time for reflection on the past. Now is the time for vigilance, that our love for those who have passed beyond shall not have died defending empty causes. Now is the time when all, from the great to the least of these, must cease all doubtings and find strength in the eternity of the Force. Now is the time when these same must rejoice in the will of the Force. Now is the time to prepare for the future, built upon the foundations of the faithful whom we honor. May the Force be with us all."   
Ana bowed her head and began singing softly. "So do be good, bow low, slack not your zeal, though Master's gone, he's with you still."   
Yrin embraced her tightly, then helped her to her feet. They bowed once more to the Memorial and the heroes immortalized therein, then turned and returned to the turbolift.   
He waited until they were nearly to their level before speaking. "What happened back there?"   
She pursed her lips. "I don't think you want to know."   
He took her hand. "We're going to be sharing the rest of our lives together; I need to know what scared you so badly back there."   
The doors opened and they exited the lift. She walked in silence to their quarters and opened the door. As soon as they were inside, she turned.   
"Sit down and I'll show you."   
He sat and she took his face in her hands. "Open your mind to me."   
She led him through her mind, then settled on the vision, linking her thoughts to his. When it ended, she opened her eyes to find him staring at her, tears in his eyes.   
She reached up to brush his hair away from his face. "Always in motion is the future," she said quietly.   
"I could never do that to you," he promised. "Never willingly."   
"I know. It's just..." She wrapped her arms around herself. "I can't bear to lose another family member to the Dark Side."   
He enfolded her in a tight embrace and she rested her cheek against his shoulder.   
The sound of the comm interrupted the moment and he swore softly. Ana reached over and swatted it on. "Llyr and Majav."   
She heard Anayl whisper "they're here", then clear her throat. "Where have you been? It's nearly midnight."   
Ana's face drained of color. "We were there that long?"   
"We were going to take you two out for dinner, but it's obviously a little too late for that."   
Ana grinned. "Sorry."   
"When do you leave tomorrow?"   
"0900."   
"Then, we'll see you in a week and a half. Good luck."   
  
CHAPTER 9   
"Welcome to Alderaan."   
Ana bowed deeply. "I am Knight Ana Majav and this is my partner, Yrin Llyr."   
"An honor to meet you, Lady Ana. You as well, Knight Llyr. I'm Talor Veran, the viceroy's personal attaché. Thank you for coming so quickly. We would have been more formal, but the negotiations were hastily convened." He gestured them towards a waiting transport. "I assume you were briefed on the current situation?"   
"Yes, sir."   
He nodded. "The negotiations will be starting tonight. Both the viceroy and the rebel leader would like to meet with you, since you will be mediating the negotiations."   
"Sounds logical."   
They climbed into the transport and settled into the seats. "Have there been any new developments?"   
"A series of terrorist acts took place over the last two days. Sarac Marhn, the rebel leader claims they are the result of factioning and that his contingent has nothing to do with it. Personally, I'm inclined to believe him, but there's no particular way of knowing how..."   
Ana lunged across the space between the seats and pushed Veran to the floor of the transport just before the explosion sounded. The rear of the transport caved in, collapsing fully against where Veran would have been. The transport rolled onto its side and Ana kept a firm grip on the attaché to prevent him from falling out.   
Through the jagged opening, laser fire began pouring in. Ana rolled free of the debris and brought her lightsaber up into a high guard position. She deflected the bolts easily, since there was a narrow target range for the assailants to use.   
"Snipers," she snapped at Yrin.   
"I noticed," he said grimly. "Who do you think they're after?"   
"Us, most likely. They wouldn't go to this trouble for an attaché, would they?"   
"Probably not."   
She turned back to Veran. "Stay out of range and try to contact any law enforcement in the area."   
"Already done," he said grimly. "They're on their way. Can you hold them for a minute?"   
"As long as necessary," she confirmed.   
She moved into the open, letting the Force guide her blade as she deflected each of the shots. One caught her in the left biceps, but she shunted away the pain and kept moving.   
One by one the blasters fell silent. Ana held her guard stance for a moment, sweeping the area with her senses, then deactivated the saber and replaced it on her belt.   
"Well, that was entertaining," she said wryly.   
Yrin nodded. "Everyone all right back there?"   
Veran grimaced as he pulled himself from the wreckage. "Harsk, the copilot, was killed."   
Ana sucked in her breath. "Any other damage?"   
He smiled faintly. "Some bruises from the impact of the explosion and having my life saved by a rather aggressive Jedi Knight, but nothing else."   
She sagged in relief. "Glad to hear it. I think we'll be needing a new transport."   
Yrin caught her forearm and inspected the wound. "That's a nasty burn."   
She nodded. "I try not to think about it."   
He ran a hand over the burn, healing the wound. "Any other complaints?"   
She grinned. "A Jedi never complains."   
He slung an arm over her shoulders. "I don't think that's in the Code."   
"It's the poorer for it," she teased.   
"Knights Llyr and Majav?"   
Ana turned to see an older woman bow. "If you'll come with me, we have another transport waiting to take you to the viceroy."   
"Thank you." She smiled at Yrin. "I think it's time we stopped playing and got to work."   
He rested a hand on her shoulderblade to guide her to the transport, saw her grimace. "What's wrong?"   
"All right, so a Jedi never complains. Doesn't mean there isn't some structural damage."   
He lifted the back of her tunic to see massive bruising taking form. "That's what you get for playing hero."   
* * *   
"So what's with the whole Lady Ana thing?"   
Ana smiled wryly. "I never told you that my family is nobility, did I?"   
"Royal Jedi, there's a thought."   
She laughed. "Not quite. My great-grandmother was a Force-blind duchess here on Alderaan. The tradition's carried on through the generations. I'm not a duchess, but I'm close."   
He arched an eyebrow. "Well, then."   
She raised his hand to her lips and kissed each finger. "You don't mind, do you?"   
He laughed. "Not at all. It's always good to have friends in high places."   
She rolled her eyes. "Leave it to trivialize the momentous and complicate the obvious."   
"That's why you love me."   
"Among other things."   
He inspected her back, being careful not to touch the bruised areas. "What happened to your shoulders?"   
"I told you. It's from having a transport wall collapse on me."   
"No, I mean your shoulders and neck. What are these scars?"   
He caught a flash of pain. "Have you ever heard of Ziost VII?"   
He sucked in his breath. "Yes."   
She buried her cheek against a pillow. "When I was sixteen, I went on a mission to Pakrik Minor. I uncovered a conspiracy and when the perpetrators discovered that fact, they bombed the conference center when my best friend and I were heading the negotiations. We were pronounced dead because they couldn't find our bodies, but we were taken to Ziost VII. They interrogated both of us, in the hopes that Sceri could convince me to cooperate. Sceri went mad and killed herself. Shortly thereafter, they moved me into the mines. I resisted, so they began whipping me on a regular basis. That's where the scars come from."   
He grimaced. "I didn't know."   
"I never told you," she countered.   
"Why didn't you have them fully healed?"   
"A reminder," she said quietly.   
"There are less painful reminders available, you know."   
"None so effective," she countered.   
He nodded.   
* * *   
Ana resisted the temptation to rub her temples. Fifteen hours into the second day of negotiations, things were getting personal. Yrin had left to retrieve some information for the procedure and she was left to fend for herself.   
Sarac Mahrn glared at the viceroy. "It is dishonorable to allow such tyranny to continue. We are patriots, wanting nothing more than justice."   
Bail Organa leaned back in his chare. "Mahrn, there is no honor in the work you do. Patriotism is not synonymous with terrorism."   
"We would not stoop so low as terrorism."   
"Stooping is not necessary for such degenerates as yourself."   
Both men shot to their feet. Mahrn lunged for Organa's throat, ready to strangle him. In a flash, Ana activated her saber and swept it up between the two men, nearly taking Mahrn's hands off.   
"There will be none of this," she snapped. "You will stop this petty bickering and negotiate, blast it. If you're hesitant, there are more painful methods of persuasion. Understood?"   
Mahrn snorted loudly. "Brave words for a Sithspawned civil servant."   
Ana swung her saber to point at him. "I am here on the business of the Republic. If you have a problem with that, take it up with Palpatine. But for now, you will sit down, grow up, and shut up."   
Organa was the first to yield, a hint of a smile on his lips. "You are an Alderaanian, after all."   
Mahrn sat. "Of course. She is as stubborn as you are."   
Ana expected another outburst, but Organa simply laughed. "True enough." He drummed his fingers on the tabletop. "Now, if this quite finished, we can talk about trade agreements with your refugee populations."   
Ana deactivated her saber and reattached it to her belt. "That's more like it."   
The door hissed open and Yrin stepped in. "Did I miss anything important?"   
Ana ran a hand over her hair. "No, nothing important."   
* * *   
Yrin smiled as she emerged from the refresher. "You should have told me there was trouble today. I hear you nearly disarmed Sarac Mahrn."   
She folded her arms across her chest. "It's his fault for trying to strangle Bail Organa."   
"I'm sorry. I didn't know something like that would happen. I wouldn't have left."   
She shrugged. "It would have happened anyway and I would have handled it exactly the same."   
Yrin nodded. "I was talking to some of the delegates; what's a val'brecht?"   
Ana sank into a chair. "You're not supposed to know about that."   
"When they heard we were being married soon, they wanted to make sure that you would have one at the wedding reception. What exactly is it?"   
"The traditional Alderaanian wedding dance." She smiled wryly. "Two people in every family learn it. Lanai and I have been practicing it for a week now."   
"What does it look like?"   
She narrowed her eyes. "You're allowed your surprises. Indulge me on mine."   
He smiled. "Touché. Are you all right?"   
She made a face at him. "I'm just exhausted. I didn't think it was possible to be stubborn for nineteen hours at a time, but both of them pulled it off."   
"Politics do strange things to people."   
She grinned. "I remember the first time I actually intentionally slugged a boy was when he told me that if I hadn't been a Jedi that I should have been a politician."   
He grimaced. "That was a low blow."   
She blushed. "On him, yes."   
"Who was this degenerate?"   
She turned and winked. "A Corellian."   
"I should have known."   
There was a knock at the heavy wooden door. Ana crossed to it and pulled it open. One of the Palace servants bowed. "The viceroy thought you might need some refreshment, so we were sent with dinner. He also wishes to inform you that the treaty is being drawn up tonight and there will be no negotiations tomorrow. However, you are expected at the signing at 1500."   
"Thank you."   
The servant brought a tray into the room and set it on the table, then left, bowing.   
Yrin stood. "One of the definite advantages to being forced to stay in the Palace."   
"One of the few," she agreed, bringing out her commlink. She switched it to the transport's frequency. "Serahv?"   
"Yes?"   
"Majav here. We've just been informed that our work here will be finished at 1600. Could we be ready for liftoff at 1630?"   
"Certainly."   
"Thank you. Majav out."   
* * *   
Ana awoke to find someone standing over her, shaking her shoulder.   
She squinted into the light. "How did you get up here?"   
Anayl shrugged. "Yrin let us in before he left. Come on, you're getting married in two hours."   
Ana scrubbed her hands over her face. "You're kidding."   
Anayl pulled her to her feet. "Please restrain your enthusiasm."   
She laughed. "You know what I mean."   
Anayl pushed her towards the refresher. "Be quick about it and don't dry your hair. We have no time to lose."   
* * *   
"Aren't you done yet?"   
"Sit still," Neila grumbled around a mouthful of pins. "I'll be done soon."   
Nya inspected her. "You're lucky you're only marrying a Corellian instead of being one. Each clan has its own requisite hairstyle for weddings and mine took forever to do."   
"I don't even have biological family to do this sort of thing for me, much less lecture me on Alderaanian etiquette."   
Anayl rested a hand on her shoulder. "Then it's a good thing we're here, isn't it. Otherwise, you'd never know the true meaning of torture."   
Ana winced and ran a hand over her cheek. "I wish that were true."   
Anayl pulled down her hand. "Don't worry; Yrin will make sure that whatever miserable thing happens to you will be equally shared."   
Ana smiled. "I never thought of it that way."   
"Done," Neila proclaimed.   
Ana inspected her hair. Neila had braided pearls into two braids, then braided them together. Where they met, she'd begun a series of looped braids running down the length of her head and left the rest in curls hanging down her back.   
"Perfect," she proclaimed. She reached up to squeeze Neila's hand. "Thank you."   
Anayl checked her chrono. "If I'm not mistaken, you have to be at the Council chambers in five minutes. I suggest you get going."   
Ana stood and smoothed down her dress. "I'll be back soon."   
She moved out of their quarters and hurried to the Council chambers, holding her skirts up high.   
"Where are you going in such a hurry?"   
Ana stopped and turned. "My Knight in shining armor."   
"Not quite, but formal robes work just as well."   
"So I noticed."   
Yrin halted before her, took her hands, and simply grinned.   
"So eloquent," she teased.   
He leaned in and kissed her gently. "Have you ever been faced with something so beautiful, so breathtakingly perfect that to try and describe it would to destroy your enjoyment of it?"   
She blushed. "At least we know that if you're ever kicked out of the Order, you have a fall-back profession as a poet."   
He offered an arm. "Shall we be going?"   
She slipped her arm through his and they headed into the Council wing.   
"Llyr and Majav."   
The aide looked up and smiled. "Punctual as usual. I understand congratulations are about to be in order. Go on in."   
"Thank you."   
Yrin guided her through into the chambers. They stopped in the speakers' circle and bowed.   
Master Windu straightened and leaned forward slightly. "You are about to embark on one of the noblest endeavors that has been afforded to the humble beings subject to the Force. It is a great responsibility, but also a great privilege. After this day, you will be one in the Force. You will share each joy, each pain, and each heartbeat of life in communion with each other. Are you ready to make that sort of commitment?"   
Ana grinned despite herself. "Yes, Master."   
Yrin reached over to squeeze her hand. "Absolutely, Master."   
Master Windu smiled, a rare expression. "In that case, kneel and open your minds to each other."   
They knelt and Ana closed her eyes. She calmed her senses and stretched out with the Force. She brushed against his mind, then let her senses run parallel to his. She could sense his life functions, from the beating of his heart to his contented respiration.   
A warmth enveloped her and she caught her breath. When it resumed, she became aware of the fact that their life functions were in perfect tandem.   
She opened her eyes and turned to stare at Yrin through tear-clouded eyes. He had an identical look of wonderment on his face.   
"You will never again have to carry life's burden alone. May the Force be with you."   
Yrin helped her to her feet and they bowed, then left the chambers. Once outside, he lifted her off her feet in a kiss.   
"I've never been so happy in my life."   
She pulled back, then crushed him in an embrace. "The feeling's mutual, my love."   
He brushed her hair back and smiled. "I like the sound of that."   
She rested her head against his chest. "I'll have to remember that. Won't be too hard."   
He held her at arm's length and grinned. "Let's go meet the family."   
CHAPTER 10   
Ana smiled and bowed as Chancellor Palpatine came into range. "We are honored that you should grace us with your presence, Chancellor."   
"The wedding of two Jedi is always a joyous occasion." He kissed her hand. "My congratulations to you both."   
"Thank you."   
She turned to see a young woman in a deep red gown hanging back from the crowd around them and smiled. "Ara, come here."   
Her Padawan approached and Ana embraced her quickly. "I thought you were going to be visiting your family until tomorrow."   
"I had to come back early, so I thought I'd make an appearance."   
Ana gripped Yrin's hand. "Yrin, this is my new Padawan, Ara Lhian. Ara, this is my husband, Yrin Llyr."   
"A pleasure, I'm sure," Yrin said, his voice slightly strained.   
Ara glanced at Ana, then bowed. "Likewise."   
As she moved off, Ana dug her nails into his arms. "She is going to be in our care for years, Yrin. You might as well trust her."   
"She tried to kill you," he protested quietly.   
"She's changed," Ana countered. "I've accepted her; why can't you?"   
"Someday," he replied.   
"Very well."   
She greeted the last guest, then took his arm. "What now?"   
"We can finally eat, then the dancing begins."   
She smiled. "Thank the Force. I don't think I can bear to stand any longer."   
"Didn't Khil ever teach you about strengthening exercises?"   
"Even the Force has its limits."   
* * *   
Ana pushed back a strand of hair and stepped onto the dance floor opposite Lanai. Her friend gave her an encouraging smile, then assumed the crouched position that began the val'brecht.   
Ana crouched, her forehead pressed to her right knee and waited for the right beat of the music. On the downbeat, she straightened one leg and stretched the other out behind her, then brought her leg in for a controlled spin.   
She leapt into the air, making three complete revolutions before landing gracefully on both feet. She crossed the circle and caught Lanai's hand. They executed a set of counterpoint spins, only breaking contact for the spinning leaps that came every four beats.   
She landed in a tight spin as Lanai began the footwork sequence. Finally, she broke the spin and sashayed, did a split leap, then landed on her knees. She spun on her knees, then crouched and spun on one leg, then leapt into the air, spinning and landed in a deep lunge. She danced across the circle in a rapid sequence of checks, small leaps, and quick spins.   
Taking a deep breath, she pushed off into a tumbling pass of a roundoff, back handspring, step-out, layout, back flip, then punch front flip that ended with her in a kneeling position as the music ended.   
She stood, bowed, and then clasped Lanai in a tight embrace. "Thank you so much."   
Lanai grinned. "Just returning the favor."   
They returned to their seats and Yrin leaned over to kiss her. "Wonderful."   
She smiled. "Thank you."   
He nodded towards the door. "I was wondering if you'd seen your Padawan in the last hour and a half."   
Ana frowned. "Come to think of it, no."   
She stretched out her senses, trying to locate Ara and ran straight into a wall of fear and resolve. "Oh, Sith."   
Yrin turned to stare at her. "Literally or figuratively?"   
"Literally," she said. "You stay here. I have to go save Ara."   
He sighed. "You and your hero complex."   
She stood, then bent to kiss him. "I'll be back soon."   
She turned and hurried to the exit. She retrieved her lightsaber and set off in a run for the south tower.   
* * *   
Bare minutes later, Yrin was blasted with a wave of pain. He dropped his glass and stood abruptly.   
"Excuse me," he managed to say.   
He moved towards the exit as quickly as the crowd would allow, sending healing vibes in Ana's direction.   
"Going somewhere?"   
Yrin turned caught Anayl's arm. "Will you keep things sane here for a bit?"   
She narrowed her eyes. "Not you as well. Can't you even get married without a disaster of some kind?"   
"Please. Ana's in trouble."   
She sucked in her breath. "Are you sure?"   
"Yes," he said a bit impatiently. "Just do this for me, Nal."   
She sighed. "All right. Keep an open comm line."   
He kissed her forehead. "Thank you."   
He sprinted for Ara's quarters, keeping his lightsaber at the ready. He palmed open the door, ready to fend off any attack, and charged through.   
He took in the scene in an instant. Ana was locked in intense combat with a Sith near a shattered viewport. Ara was cowering in a corner. Blood covered the flooring, but he didn't dare wonder whose it was.   
Ana turned to look at him and in that moment, the hooded figure pierced her defenses, leaving a deep gash from left shoulder to right hip.   
Yrin stepped between them and drove the Sith back. He stumbled into the door and Yrin took the momentary distraction to run him through the throat.   
He turned just in time to catch Ana as she collapsed. He lifted her into her arms and turned to Ara. "Are you all right?"   
She nodded shakily. "Thank you for coming."   
"I'm going to get Ana to the medcenter, then come back for you. All right?"   
He delivered his unconscious wife into the hands of the Healers, and then retrieved his commlink. "Nal?"   
"You'd better be on your way back with your wife or I'll be forced to kill you both."   
"Ana won't be coming. She's at the Healers'."   
Anayl let out an exasperated sigh. "I'll be making your excuses, then."   
"Thank you."   
* * *   
Ana awoke to find Yrin asleep against her side. She stroked his cheek with her left hand and smiled.   
He looked up wearily and smiled faintly. "We've got to stop meeting like this."   
"I know," she said quietly. "I'm sorry for ruining the party."   
"They'll get over it someday," he reassured her.   
"Is Ara all right?"   
"A little shaken, since her brother tried to assassinate her, but not bad considering."   
"How's her arm," she whispered.   
"Functional. The blade didn't go very deep or do any serious damage."   
She sagged in relief. "Good. I assume your family was furious."   
He laughed. "Naturally. They had to leave today."   
She grimaced. "Naturally."   
He took her hand and squeezed it gently. "Don't worry about it. I think we'd all rather have you well than social."   
She smiled. "You're turning into me, you know."   
He bent down and kissed her. "Best thing I've heard all day."   
* * *   
"There's something on the balcony that I'm not sure what to do with."   
Ana set down her satchel and crossed to the balcony. A small, purple, trumpet-shaped flower was planted out there. She burst out laughing.   
"What's so funny about a flower?"   
"How they ever managed to get it here..."   
He came up beside her. "Mind explaining?"   
She gestured to the flower. "It's an arallute; on Alderaan, if a bride found one growing in her yard the night after her wedding, it meant she'd soon have a child. Usually, the female members of her family make sure that they sneak out there and plant one for her." She snapped her fingers. "I bet Ara let them in."   
He kissed her ear. "Maybe it's just a sign, love."   
She turned and grinned. "Maybe."   
  



	4. Default Chapter Title

Part 3 PART 3 GATHERING DARKNESS "One of the highest qualities of all true leadership is ahigh standard of courage. When we speak of courage...we are using terms that stand for the quality of life by which men determine consciously the proper course to pursue and stand with fidelity to their convictions." ~Joseph F. Smith 33 YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF ENDOR CHAPTER 1 "Ana?" There was an answering retch from the direction of the refresher. Yrin grimaced and set down his satchel before heading there. Ana straightened as he entered and rinsed out her mouth. "It's about time," she commented. "I didn't think trade negotiations would take six weeks." "They do when it leads to a minor uprising," he countered. "Are you all right?" She grimaced and embraced him tightly. "About as can be expected." "You should go to the medcenter for that nausea." She laughed. "I've been several times over the last six weeks." Yrin's jaw dropped. "It's been going on that long?" She nodded, a hint of a smile on her lips. "It's common fare with pregnancy." "WHAT?!" She grinned and stepped back. She turned sideways and for the first time, he noticed the bulge to her abdomen. "Apparently, in about five months, you and I will be the parents of three baby girls." He lifted her from the floor in a suffocating embrace, then set her down and kissed her deeply. "I should leave for six weeks more often." She shoved him gently. "Don't you dare." He grinned. "Did you miss me?" She buried her cheek in his chest. "What do you think?" "Not half as much as I missed you." She slid under his arm and led him away. "It's been a very long six weeks." "I know." He stopped in the midst of the living room. "Where's Ara?" "On a survival trek in the Manarai Mountains with several friends." She sighed. "She'll be back tomorrow." He frowned. "Then I won't see her for a while. Pity." Ana stepped back and folded her arms. "Why not?" He bit his lip. "I'm sorry, but the Council is sending Vanli and I on another mission tonight." She sat down on the couch. "You're kidding." "To Antresar. Some problems have resurfaced." He suddenly became very interested in his feet. "And one of our Jedi was killed there last month. They didn't find out until today." She sucked in her breath. "A Sith?" He nodded. "It's the third one this month." She dropped her chin to her chest and sighed, then lifted her head to stare at him intently. "Don't go." He crossed and knelt beside her, cupping her cheek in his hand. "I'm sorry, but it's a follow-up to a mission we covered last year and they prefer us for the assignment." "I know," she grumbled. She pulled him to his feet. "In that case, we'd better make every moment count. * * * Yrin slapped the alarm off and groaned. "Five more minutes." Ana laughed and broke her embrace. "Come on, saving the Galaxy is a full-time job, even at midnight." "I don't want to," he whined teasingly. She kissed his neck. "I'll get you packed. You go shower." "Yes, mother," he grumbled. She whacked his shoulder and shoved him none too gently. He fell off the bed and rose to his knees, sending an accusing glare at her. "For that, I'm not bringing you back a present." She pulled a straight face. "Bring yourself back safe. That's a better present than I could ever hope for." He reached out to stroke her cheek. "I'd better get going, then." Fifteen minutes later, Ana handed Yrin a cup of caf and sat at the table. "You look like you could use this." He grinned and leaned over to kiss her. "And whose fault is that?" She held up a hand and shoved him gently back into the chair. "You'd better stop or you'll never get to Antresar." He shrugged. "And that would be bad?" She laughed. "I hope Vanli has more self-control than this or you two are doomed." She checked her wrist chrono. "You need to leave in ten minutes." "Good, that leaves one minute for finishing this caf and the rest of the time for a proper goodbye." She nodded. "You read my mind." * * * Ara dropped to one knee and stabbed straight up. As Ana moved to parry, she rolled back, driving Ana's blade forward and out of her grasp. The hilt hit bare millimeters from her head. Ana laughed and clapped her hands. "You are so lucky that it has an automatic shut-off." Ara vaulted to her feet, then they both dropped into the meditation stance. A few minutes later, Ara stood and helped Ana to hers. "If you weren't moving like a senile Hutt, I wouldn't have been in danger." Ana laughed and scooped her hair from her face. "Touché." Ara pulled on her boots. "You were distracted by something." She grimaced. "We haven't heard from Yrin or Vanli or anyone on that planet for that matter in nearly two weeks. Something's undeniably wrong. I just don't know what." "Haven't you been able to contact him through the Force?" She shook her head. "I know he's not hurt because I'd feel it, but he's in danger." Ara sat next to her. "I'd say not to worry, but I know better by now." Ana smiled slightly. "I've taught you well." "That you have." Ana slipped her feet into shoes and stood awkwardly. "I think that's enough for tonight." "Master Llyr?" Ana turned to see a younger initiate enter. He bowed clumsily, then held up a comm. "I tried to reach you on the commlink, but I got no..." "I left it in our quarters," Ana replied. "The Council wants to see you both." "Thank you." She sighed and turned to grin at Ara. "Looks like another exciting day." CHAPTER 2 Ana depressed the anunciator button and glanced back over her shoulder at Ara. The younger girl was trying not to let her teeth chatter. "There is no cold; there is the Force," she teased. Ara sent her an annoyed look. "Whoever said that has never walked six kilometers in a developing blizzard." The door opened and an older woman peered warily out. "Shena Tar?" The woman nodded and brushed her hair away from her face. "Who are you?" Ana pulled back the hood of her overcloak. "I'm Knight Ana Llyr and this is my Padawan, Ara Lhian. We're the representatives the Jedi Council sent to test your daughter." "Come in." Ana followed her into the home. Shena lifted a small bundle from a cradle beside the fireplace and brought it into the living room where they were standing. "This is Ksandra, my third child. It is late; perhaps you would rather test her in the morning." Ana nodded. "We've come a long way." Shena glanced at their drenched clothing in bemusement. "So I see." She turned away. "Down the corridor, third door on the right. If you require anything more, let me know." Ana nodded. "Very well, then. We'll see you both in the morning." They were silent until they reached the guestroom. Ana stripped off her robes and hung them out to dry. "Her husband was the Jedi killed on Antresar two months ago," she said quietly. Ara inhaled sharply. "Oh." Ana stripped off her tunic and removed a long nightgown from her satchel. She slipped it over her head and removed her boots and slacks. All these joined the robes. "We'll be out of here by tomorrow night. Try to be diplomatic until then." "Yes, Master." * * * Ana emerged from the study, smiling. "Congratulations. You have a potential Jedi on your hands." Shena sagged in something like relief. "So you'll be taking her with you?" Ana nodded. "With your permission of course." Shena sat and gestured to the chair next to her. "Avan died because he was a Jedi; there is increasing risk in the profession. I'm not sure I could bear to lose another family member that way." She bit her lip. "Will you let your child be taken if he is strong enough?" Ana rested a hand on her abdomen. "If any of my daughters are strong in the Force, I would be honored to have them continue the tradition. The Jedi Order is a noble tradition and a benefit to the Galaxy as well as its members." Shena looked down and frowned slightly. "Were your parents Jedi?" "Yes." She sighed. "I assume there are Jedi with Force-blind families." "More often than not," Ana reassured her. "How can you live without your families?" "The Order is bonded together closer than any family because we all have the bond of service to the Force. We rarely know our biological families, but it is enough. Ksandra may not know your love, but she will never be lacking." * * * "We'll be heading back tonight." Lanai sighed. "I'm going insane; it's been so long without any word." "I know," Ana said quietly. "But they're all right. I know it." She bit her lip. "I wish I had your confidence." "I'll see you in a few days." Ana shut off the comm and folded her arms across her chest. She buried her chin in her chest and stretched out with her senses, desperate for any form of contact from her husband. With nothing in response, she squeezed her eyes shut against the tears. "Master?" Ana looked up and blinked before turning to smile at Ara. "News?" "No. Shena has dinner ready." "I'll be there shortly." Ana stood and took a deep, calming breath. She was halfway to the door when her legs buckled. _"Get back," Yrin snapped. "I'll hold them until you're back to safety." "I'm not leaving you here," Vanli countered. A Sith drove in from the left and Yrin parried just in time. "I'd better not see you loitering back there." "As soon as we're clear." Yrin drove forward, forcing the Sith away from his partner's position. A flash of red at his right caught his eye and he swore softly as another Sith joined the fracas. Yrin stepped between the two and whirled, the Force guiding his movements to parry and thrust. A sudden blow to the side of the head drove him back into the path of the second Sith's saber. The blade caught him across the upper ridge of his left shoulder blade and he nearly fell under the sudden onslaught of pain. He turned to drive off the attacker, simultaneously dropping into a crouch and backing towards his other opponent. He swung his lightsaber into a high guard, blocking the downward thrust of the blade just as the other Sith drove his blade point into the space where Yrin's head should have been. While he was distracted, Yrin drove upward into the Sith's chest cavity. He rolled away and deactivated his saber. Vanli lay unmoving, his eyes wide and unseeing. Yrin dropped to his knees and lifted him into his arms. He was standing when the hum of another lightsaber alerted him to the danger behind him. A blow to the spine knocked him to the ground. Before he could rise again, the blade drove through his shoulder. *I have to get out.* Ignoring the cracking bones, boiling blood, and tearing muscles, he rolled to the side, free of the blade. He rolled onto his back in time to see the Sith's booted foot swing into the side of his head and it all went black._ Ana sat up, breathing hard. Ara caught her as she fell backwards. "What happened?" "Yrin," Ana gasped. She gripped Ara's arm. "We have to go back to Coruscant right now." "What did you see?" "Vanli's dead and Yrin's been captured or worse." "Oh Sith," Ara said quietly. "You should let Lanai know." "I'll do that; you go break the news to our hosts." * * * Ana bowed to the Council. "Thank you for seeing me so quickly." "We received your report days ago," Tars Schilian, the Raltiirian who had taken Mace Windu's seat on the Council, said. "This is a grave situation." "I must go to Byss to find him; I fear for his soul." "Not yet," Yoda interjected. Ana turned to stare at him. "What?" "Your Padawan must not go with you now." "I will leave her behind if I must, but I cannot delay any longer." "Defer you must until Knighthood Ara reaches." Ana scowled. "Ara has not even begun the Trials. It could be months before I went out." "But you would both be ready." She rested a hand on her abdomen. "I will not defer. Every day that we delay is a day that my husband succumbs more to the Dark Side." "It is not time. There is much that needs to happen before you and your Padawan will be ready to face this mission." "I am ready." "Our own counsel we will keep on how ready are you," Yoda said sternly. "If the issue is my Padawan, I will go alone." "This is a challenge Ara must face as well. But only when she is prepared." "No disrespect intended, Master, but this is not something that can be delayed. Yrin's soul is in great danger; if we hesitate for the time period you're talking about, we may lose him completely." Her voice broke. "I love him too much to let this happen." "You may have to." Ana drew herself up. "I will go alone if I must, but I cannot take this any more." "Decided this will be later. May the Force be with you." * * * Ara stood as Ana entered their quarters. "What's the verdict?" Ana tore off her robe and threw it across the room. "They want you to start the Trials." Ara frowned. "What about Yrin? Didn't they..." Ana whirled to face her and Ara caught a blast of anger, frustration, and a bit of despair in her sense. "They won't let us go find him until you are a Knight." Ara sank back onto the couch. "You're kidding." "No," Ana snapped. She flopped into a chair and buried her face in her hands. "They'll be observing sparring practice tomorrow. After that, it's totally subjective." "I'm sorry," Ara said quietly. "It's not your fault. I should have known that this would happen." She stood abruptly. "I'm going to get cleaned up. I could definitely use it." "I'll make dinner tonight. You need the rest." Ana smiled slightly. "You know me too well." * * * Ana twisted her torso, keeping her legs firmly grounded. Ara's thrust went wide and was immediately parried by Ana's blade. Ana dropped to her side, sliding past Ara to change the range of the duel. She came up onto her knees and swung in towards her Padawan's flank. A neat parry followed. A blast of emotion to her senses threw her off-balance, then halted her as the darkness enveloped her. Ara's deep thrust caught her square in the chest, unparried, and carried through, cauterizing flesh, severing blood vessels, and going straight through bone. She gasped and drew back as Ana fell forward. Ana barely heard Ara's frantic cries for help. Her mind was too clouded to even register the pain she should have been feeling. Ara lifted her gently and turned her over to inspect the wound. "Master?" "I'll be all right," Ana protested quietly. "Yrin..." Ara sagged. "No." She nodded. "I felt his conversion a few moments ago. Otherwise you would have never landed that blow." "They're bringing a medevac stretcher." Moments later, she was lifted onto the stretcher and sedated. Weariness washed over her and she succumbed to the blackness. She awoke in the medcenter, predictably enough. Ara was nowhere to be seen. "So you're finally awake." Ana turned to see Healer Barakh enter the room. "Where's my Padawan?" "With the Council. She's in the throes of the Trials." He checked her vital signs, then ran a hand over her upper chest. "The healing worked well. You should have no further problems as long as you stay out of the path of lightsabers." Ana smiled faintly. "I'll do my best." Barakh returned the smile. "In that case, I suggest you go find Ara. She's been worried sick about you for the last six days." She tossed Ana her robes and exited. Ana showered and dressed, then headed for the Council wing. "Master." Ana turned to see Ara hurrying towards her. She clasped her Padawan in an embrace. "How are you doing?" "Exhausted," Ara admitted. "I just finished another of the Trials." "Which one?" "I don't remember much. Mostly flashes of emotion, memories, things like that. It took sixteen hours." Ana nodded. "I was in that for thirty-seven hours. I hear that the longer it takes, the more residual darkness you have to fight against. I assume you emerged unscathed?" Ara rolled her eyes. "Emotionally drained, but unscathed." "I know the feeling." She looked Ara over. "When did you finish your lightsaber?" "Last night." Ana gestured towards a balcony. "Can I see it?" Ara followed her out and handed her the saber. Ana inspected the handle. "Good craftsmanship. I haven't seen this style used since my history classes." "I know." Ara indicated the bowed grip and elaborately carved handle. "It's actually an ancient Chandrilan custom of fashioning." Ana stepped back and ignited it. A deep purple blade emerged from the hilt. "The color of nobility and strength of character. It fits." She deactivated the saber and handed it back. "The good news is that every time I've seen that particular Trial done, it's been the last thing before the Knighting." Ara's mouth twitched into a smile. "I hope so." A chime sounded and they turned to see Master Yuize step onto the parapet of the Temple. He began intoning the hourly blessing and her mind reflexively translated it. "This is the final hour of the day. Let the training halls be closed, let all labors be set aside, for night has fallen and it is time for the Children of Light to rest. May the little ones be blessed, may the elders be blessed, may those sick in body or spirit find solace. May the strong continue in their strength another day, never forgetting that weakness walks always at their side. May the Force be with us all." Ana turned and stepped back inside the Temple. "I always preferred that one to all others. It brought me great comfort throughout the years. Especially that last part." "About weakness walking always at their side?" Ana nodded. "When I was an outcast Padawan, facing the judgment of the Council and the possibility of failure, it gave me hope because it reminded me that even the great have their faults. When I was Master Khil's Padawan, it spoke of the fact that I could not always expect my Master to be unfailingly strong. As a Knight and a Master, it reminds me to look after my partner and Padawan with care because of both our weaknesses. "Service to the Light Side is a matter of constant vigilance. We are told to never forget that weakness walks always at our sides in hopes that it will improve our stewardship over the rest of the Galaxy and the Order as well as improving our stewardship over our own souls." Ara nodded. "We are nothing if not servants." She rested a hand on Ana's arm. "Let's go. It's been a long day." CHAPTER 3 "Ana, a word?" Ana turned and bowed. "Master Schilian, with you it's never just a word." The other smiled. "Indeed." He gestured towards an apse. She crossed to it and sat next to him. "I wanted to apologize for everything. I know this is hard for you and the Council hasn't been making it any easier." Ana sighed and folded her hands on her abdomen. "I've learned in the last twenty-six years that whether or not I agree with the Council's judgment, I am compelled to accept it." "I understand your predicament," he offered. "Ever since I can remember, I've been told to trust the Force, even when it meant sacrificing something I held dear. We are supposed to live our lives ready to sacrifice anything at a moment's notice. It's rarely that simple." Ana reached up to brush a tear from her face. "I've lost every person I've called family to evil. I can't bear losing Yrin as well. This legacy has to stop here." He frowned. "The Majav legacy is not of evil, but of strength. Your family has served the Order well for as long as it has existed. I hope you will be able to help it continue that legacy for many generations to come." She shrugged. "Intending no disrespect, Master, but if the Council has anything to do with it, it'll never happen." He nodded. "The Council is much like the Force itself. Full of mysteries, oddities, and unexpected turns. I used to think there was little rhyme and reason to either, but in the short time I've been on the Council, I've come to realize the opposite." "I imagine it would give a unique perspective," Ana said quietly. He rested a hand on her arm. "Maybe some day, you will be able to gain the same perspective." She smiled. "Someday." * * * Ana pulled off her overcloak and shook it out. Water from the unexpected blizzard collected on the floor. "Ah, the joys of living on Coruscant." Ara shook her hair out and frowned. "There *are* joys?" Ana shrugged. "Other than the Temple and the beautiful landscape, I can't think of any, but that's not the point." Ara crossed to the comm and scanned through the messages. "And speaking of joys, the Council wants to see us five minutes ago." Ana grimaced. "I'll send them a message, explaining ourselves. You go get changed." Twenty minutes later, they were admitted to the Council chambers. They stepped into the speaker's circle and bowed. "Done well you have, Ara Lhian, in your Trials. Minded well your Master you have and from her not much more you can learn." "I will be learning for the rest of my life, whether from her or from the Force," Ara countered. "Understand this you must. For now, approve we do of your Trials. Kneel, Padawan Lhian." Ana unhooked her lightsaber and adjusted the setting. Ara knelt and Ana took hold of her Padawan braid. She took a deep breath, then severed it. "Rise, Knight Ara Lhian." Ara stood and bowed. Ki-adi-mundi fixed her with a stare. "I think I speak for all those present when I say that we have been waiting long for this day. You have been through much and emerged victorious every time. Let this knowledge of your strength fuel your sense of mercy and your thirst for justice. But remember the blessing of the last hour. Weakness walks always at your side, so do not ever let your guard slip." "Yes, Master." "May the Force be with you." They bowed and exited. Ara crushed Ana in an embrace. "It's about time," Ana said quietly. "Where do you want to celebrate?" Ara drew back and smiled grimly. "Byss." Ana bit her lip, then nodded. "Let's be going, then." * * * "No response from Control," Ara reported. "They are sending a ship to intercept us. Three life forms on board, none of them Yrin." Ana nodded grimly. "They'll probably want to capture us rather than let us see him." She turned and let out her breath. "I'm going to meet them alone. It's safer that way. Use whatever mind-cloaking devices you know, but do not let them find you." Ara shuddered, but nodded. "May the Force be with you." Ana smiled. "Thank you." She returned to the hold, then crossed to the docking hatch. In three minutes, the hatch hissed open and she resisted the urge to step back. "Three Sith Lords for one Master," she scoffed. "Should I be flattered?" "You will come with us," the one in center stated. "I am not going anywhere until you bring me Yrin Llyr." "Then you will die where you stand," another countered. "If it so be," she said calmly. "I want nothing to do with the Sith Order; I only want my husband returned to his rightful place." "That is not possible." Ana fought back her annoyance and smoothed her senses into an emotionless surface. "I will not defer," she said emphatically. "Let me talk to Yrin, at least." "You shall sooner die than see him again." Ana tilted her chin defiantly. "If it is the will of the Force." "Ah, yes. Leave it to the weak link in the Majav legacy to rely on the paltry effects of the Light Side." The center one raised a hand in an all-too-familiar gesture. "So be it." She did not have the time to bring her saber into a guard position before the blast of lightning threw her back into the wall, bringing darkness. * * * "Master?" Ana sat up, holding her throbbing head. "Are they gone?" Ara nodded and pushed her back down gently. "They flooded the entire ship with anaesthetic gas, then set us adrift. I brought us a few light-years out and landed on the nearest ball of rock that I could find." Ana winced. "Are you all right?" "Better than you, I imagine." Ara ran a hand over her brow, brushing away the strands of hair plastered by perspiration. "I just have a bit of dizziness and mild nausea. You have a concussion, a nasty cut, and some pretty bad burns." Ana caught her breath. "My children?" "They're fine," Ara assured her. Ana sagged in relief, then pushed herself into a sitting position. "We have to go back." "It's not safe, Master." "Few things I do ever are," she countered. "If I return, they will know that I am serious in my intents." "And they will kill you." "Perhaps." She took a deep, shuddering breath. "In any case, I refuse to return to Coruscant without seeing Yrin again. Set course for Byss." Thirteen hours later, they arrived. "They're not even hailing us. A single-passenger shuttlecraft is on an intercept course." Ana stretched out her senses, then drew them back. "Allow them to intercept. It's Yrin." She stood with difficulty and removed her lightsaber from her belt. She set it on the control panel, then turned to Ara. "Same orders as last time. I must face this alone. When it is your turn, I will call for you, but do not come before." Ara nodded smoothly, but her eyes betrayed her concern. "I understand." Ana's brow furrowed and she mustered a half-hearted smile. "Liar." She turned and left the cockpit, then dropped into a meditative stance before the hatch. She barely heard it hiss open a few minutes later. Perfectly calm, she raised her gaze to meet Yrin's. "I knew you would come." She was startled by the sadness in his eyes. "Ana, you should not have come back." "I will come back as many times as it takes to get you to see reason." He snorted. "What reason? You of all people should know better. You lost everything because of the Jedi, because of their antiquated ways and weakness." He gestured to her belt. "You're not even armed. You are asking for your own destruction." She stood and drew herself up to her full height. "You know very well that the Dark Side is what destroyed my family, even as it destroys you now." He reached up to stroke her cheek. "You fool," he said quietly. She pulled back. "I see nothing foolish. You've gone against everything you've ever fought for. For what?" "Ana, there will be a time when we will rise up against the Jedi and overcome them. I don't want to be on the receiving end of that." "Better to die with honor than to live a murderer," she snapped. He backhanded her across the face, driving her to the ground. "You will regret that. When you're forced to watch as everything you hold dear is destroyed, you will wish that you listened to me." She got to her feet, ignoring the blood streaming from her broken nose. "I'm sure you'll enjoy that particular scene. Those without souls always revel in bloodshed." His eyes narrowed. "I have a soul; it's just far more enlightened." She snorted. "Enlightenment means turning your back on twenty-six years of serving justice? It means abandoning your wife and children for selfish aims? Who's the more foolish? The fool or the fool who follows him?" He raised his hand to strike again and she caught his wrist. "I will not submit to this madness," she said quietly. "You know that you are more than this, that there is more than this. You've served it for twenty-six years without questioning it." "It is only by questioning that we can learn the truth." She released his wrist. "Indeed." "Why cannot you accept what I've become?" Ana took his hand. "I fell in love with you as a compassionate, peace-serving, justice-loving person who would rather die than betray his values, his friends, or himself. That Yrin is somewhere in you, still, but it's comatose. I was hoping that love would be enough to reawaken it." He bowed his head, the first sign of weakening that he'd shown the entire time. "It would take more than love," he whispered. She blinked back tears, then rested her head against his chest. "Then take all that I am, just don't take the man I love away from me." He was silent for a long moment, the only sound in the hold their tandem breathing. Slowly, his arms came up to encircle her. "I will come back for you," he said softly. "But understand that what is happening here cannot be stopped, whether I am on your side or not." "At least you can help fight it," she countered. "We can fight it together." He pulled back and smiled faintly. "As we always have." She embraced him tightly. "I'll tell Knight Lhian to get us on our way back to Coruscant." He laughed. "I should have known they wouldn't let her out of the Temple still wearing that ridiculous braid." He kissed her gently. "Congratulations, Master Llyr." She buried her face in his shoulder. "You have no idea how much I've missed the sound of your voice." He smiled wryly. "I think I can." She sighed. "Now the hard part: what to do with your shuttle?" He shrugged. "Set it adrift, vape it, then hype out." "Are you a Sith or a pilot," she teased. He swept her into an embrace. "I'm yours." She shoved him gently. "When you've plugged up the sap leak, I'll be in the cockpit." He caught her hand. "I'll come with you." CHAPTER 4 Ana rolled onto her back and sighed. "You've been away too long. They now have personalities." He laughed. "Really." "One of them likes to wake me up in the middle of the night because she kicks, but keeps her feet propped up there. One kicks every ten minutes. One just rolls around a lot." She pulled his head into her lap. "Wait a few minutes and you'll see what I mean." Yrin reached up to take her hand. "I'm so sorry." She smiled wearily. "Don't worry, you have two and a half months left to share in the misery." "Not that," he said with a grin. "For everything else." She brought his hand up to her lips and kissed it. "Someday, I'll figure out a way for you to make it up to me. For now, your presence is more than enough." He nodded. "And I'm sure some breakfast wouldn't hurt, either." She laughed. "Probably not." He sat up and kissed her. "I'll see the demonstration later. You go get ready for the day." She rolled her eyes. "Today's my first day off in three years. The Healers ordered me to stay in for the next three days because of what your friends did to me." He traced the faint burn marks on her neck. "Then I'll bring it to you in bed." She smiled. "That would be nice." The comm buzzed and she rolled over to slap it on. "Llyrs." "The Council wishes to see you and Knight Yrin Llyr in an hour and a half." "Thank you. Llyrs out." Yrin appeared in the doorway. "What was that?" "The Council wants us in an hour and a half." He grinned. "Who let them know I was back? I was hoping to remain missing for at least three more weeks." She smiled. "They seem to find everything out. Might as well get it over with." * * * "Thank you for your report, both of you." Ana nodded and waited for the next statement. Schilian folded his hands in his lap. "Knight Llyr, you are still in a dangerous time. You have had the strength to return to us, but you need to regain the strength of your faith in the Light Side. As you know, the purpose of the Master-Padawan relationship is to foster this sort of strength. "Since this phase in your life is crucial, we will only entrust your soul to the best of caretakers. With that in mind, we would like your wife, Master Ana Llyr, to fulfill that duty." Schilian looked to Ana. "Are you amenable to that?" "Yes, Master." "It is settled then. Every six weeks until further notice, you will come before us for evaluation." "Yes, Master." Ana straightened. "What of Ara Lhian?" "She will be partnered with another, naturally. Eventually, she may take a Padawan and become a Master. But for the current, she is out of your stewardship. Your only concern must be Yrin Llyr." "May the Force be with you." They bowed and left just as the third hour blessing began. They stopped and turned toward the parapet where Master Yuize stood. "This is the Third Hour of the day. Let us turn our minds to our duty to others. As the sun is an influence over all, whether it is visible or not, we are a constant reminder to others of the power of the Force. As the Children of the Light, let our hearts be directed for the sake of justice. May the leaders of Order and state be blessed with the clairvoyance to enact the mercy and justice we seek. May we be blessed to support that vision. May our weakness temper our actions so that we may find strength in doing what is right. Let us be ever vigilant, never slacking our zeal for the preservation of the will of the Force. May the Force be with us all." Yrin took her arm. "I never thought those could ever actually apply to current situations." She smiled. "You're just hypersensitive to the meanings after a long absence. It is as being immersed in water after crossing a desert. I know the feeling." He returned the smile. "I'm sure you do." She rested her head on his shoulder as they walked. "Don't worry. For the rest of our lives, I'll devote myself to making sure you never have to cross that desert alone again." He nodded. "It's what Master Windu said when we were married. We never have to carry life's burden alone again." She sighed. "Thanks for reminding me. It makes me feel a lot better." * * * Ara settled herself onto the couch. "This is Marc Ntoa, my new partner. Marc, this is Ana Llyr, the Master who led me to Knighthood." Ana bowed to Marc. "The unfortunate soul in the kitchen is Yrin, my husband." Marc glanced between them. "I'll go help him." Ana smiled slightly. "Your partner is very perceptive. You're training him well." Ara laughed. "He's wonderful. We just finished our first mission together, a judiciary assignment on Fondor, and it worked out very well." "Glad to hear it. You deserve a better partner than I ever was." "Impossible," Ara teased. "True." Ara moved to sit next to her. "You look great." "I look like Gardulla the Hutt before she went on a diet," Ana countered, grinning. "But it's a decent tradeoff." "A few more weeks, right?" She nodded. "Five to be exact." Ara glanced towards the kitchen. "How is he doing?" Ana smiled. "He just had his six-week evaluation and they think he's making good progress." Ara smiled. "Good." She rested a hand on her arm. "How are you doing?" Ana sighed. "If anything, this experience has taught me to be paranoid, untrusting, and nagging." "I thought you were born that way," Yrin commented, entering the room. Ana folded her arms across her chest and turned her most formidable stare on him. "For that, you have to write me a paper by tomorrow on the personal application of the twelve daily blessings." He narrowed his eyes in amusement. "Didn't Master Yoda say something about unrighteous dominion?" "He'd agree with me." She stood and tapped him on the chest. "At least I'm not making you go on ten-kilometer runs with me strapped to your back." "Close enough," he teased. Ana pulled him into a side embrace. "Either way, let's eat." * * * Ana pulled on her shoes and stood. Yrin looked up from his saber practice. "Where are you going?" She smiled slightly. "Not to alarm you, but it's time." His eyes widened. "You mean it's *time?*" "I think so." "Sithspawn," he swore. "No name-calling," she countered. He shut off his lightsaber and hurried to put his shoes on. He then scooped her into his arms. She squirmed. "I can walk, you know." "Not in your condition, you can't. Don't make me put you into a trance." "It's only a two-minute walk to the Healers' from here." He shrugged. "Sometimes I think they assigned us to this arena specifically for that purpose." "That's not the point. Let me down." Healer Artniak appeared. "I'll take over from here," he said with a grin. Yrin handed her over. "Can I *please* get down now?" She scrambled down and landed gracefully. "Let's get to work." * * * Ana slumped back, exhausted, as the cries of children filled the air. After twenty-seven hours, it was finally over. "That's all of them." Yrin handed two to her, then took a seat beside her, holding the third. "They're perfect," she said quietly. "They've got your hair." "And your eyes." "And, thank the Force, your nose." She burst out laughing. "You're right." "Which name goes to which?" She held up the one in her right arm. "This one looks like a Lisara. The one finding my nose extremely fascinating is Anayl. And the one drooling on your robe is Kila." He grinned. "Sounds logical enough to me." He kissed her gently. "They look as beautiful as you do." She sagged back against the pillows and offered him a wry grin. "You look terrible." He scowled. "It's your fault for keeping me up past my bedtime." She smiled slightly. "Only because they're exactly like us. They do everything in their own time." "Naturally." He turned to face her fully and handed her Kila. She shifted Anayl into the crook of her left arm and sighed contentedly. "This feels right." He nodded. "All right, it's time for some introductions. Lisara Tsiel, Anayl Nan, and Kila Manare, we are your parents and you have the great fortune of being sisters. Don't expect to see an adult smile at you again for the next twenty-three years." Ana laughed. "They're more like us than we thought; they slept through the entire dissertation." His mouth twitched into a smile. "I think we should all follow their example." She nodded wearily. "Good idea." He kissed her, then each of their daughters. "I love you." She grinned, then whispered, "I know" before succumbing to sleep. * * * The months passed by too quickly for either of their tastes and by the time the testing period arrived, Ana was reticent to submit them to the Force-testing. Ana paced back and forth, her arms folded across her chest. "I'm not sure I can take the suspense." Yrin looked up and grinned. "It makes you wonder if our parents had it any easier." She shrugged. "Probably. What if one of them is Force-blind?" "We'll deal with that if it happens." He held out a hand. "Come sit down. You're making me nervous." She collapsed onto the couch next to him and leaned against his shoulder. "I can't believe you're not nervous?" "Who says I'm not? But we can't change the outcome either way, we should just take it as it comes." The door to the bedroom opened and the examiner emerged, her face somber. "I'm sorry..." "Oh, Sith," Ana said quietly. The examiner's face broke into a grin. "But all three of them are strong enough to be admitted into the Temple." Ana burst out laughing. Yrin crushed her in an embrace, then stood and bowed to the other woman. "Thank you." "We'll be starting a new class of initiates in three weeks. Until then, they're still in your care." Yrin saw her out the door, then turned to her. "We've got them for three more weeks. I propose a trip." Ana arched an eyebrow. "To where?" "Corellia. It's time Nal saw her namesake." * * * "You're telling me you never got around to telling them about my Sithspawned temporary lapse in concentration or their impending nieces and granddaughters?" Ana shook her head. "I didn't want to worry them. Besides, I thought we should tell them together and you weren't around most of the time." Yrin bit his lip, then looked up at her. "They'll be furious." "We don't have to tell them about the lapse in concentration, as you called it. And they'll get over it soon." "In any case, they'll find out in thirty seconds when they let us out." She handed him Kila. "You go out to make sure they have no murderous intent and I'll come as an afterthought." "Your logic is as stunning as your eyes," he said wryly. "Flattery will get you everywhere; that attitude will get you nowhere." "Yes, Master," he mocked. "On second thought, you'd better take Nal out first. They'll react better to a namesake." He caught her arm. "Maybe we should try going out together." She grinned. "And ruin the fun?" She took Kila back and handed him Anayl. "You're on." He strode down the ramp and embraced Anayl first. "Nal, you have a namesake." All three gasped. "Why didn't you tell us," Nya demanded. "We were kind of busy for the last nine months." "That's no excuse," Anayl snapped. She lifted her niece into her arms and scowled at him. "I'm not going to forgive you for this." "It gets better," Ana called from the bottom of the ramp. "We decided that one child should not be subjected to that much doting, so we have two more." Neila clapped a hand over her mouth. "I can't believe this. When?" "Three and a half months ago. We had to wait for the testing period before we could bring them to visit." Neila caught her breath. "They've been tested?" Yrin nodded. "As soon as we return, they're being admitted into the Temple to be trained as Jedi." Nya took Kila and grinned. "Great, another generation of anti-socialite Llyrs." * * * Ana passed Lisara over to Anayl in exchange for Kila. "Lisara's the most like Yrin, at least in temperament. Very pensive, but with a mischievous streak." "Who are my other nieces named after?" "Our Masters were Sah Khil and Lisaar, hence Kila and Lisara. And, of course, Yrin insisted on naming his third daughter after his favorite sister." Anayl grinned. "He only has two; it's only natural that I should be the favorite." "I heard that," Nya called grouchily. Anayl rolled her eyes. "See?" Ana laughed. "I see where Yrin gets his sense of humor." "He gets it from our father," Anayl said quietly. "Force knows he didn't get it from our mother. Otherwise, he might have ended up like Nya." "That's not such a bad fate." "She has little room for mirth." Ana smiled slightly. "Evidently." Yrin entered and sank into a chair near Anayl. "I can't believe they're doing this to us again." Ana sagged. "Another mission?" He nodded. "To Chandrila. They want us to leave tomorrow." She groaned. "At least this time they gave us a day." She settled Kila into the crook of her arm, then looked up. "We're supposed to have Lisara, Kila, and Anayl back at the Temple in five days. We won't have time to go back." "I asked about that," Yrin countered. "There is a pair of Knights here on Corellia that is leaving for Coruscant in two days. They can take them then, as long as my family keeps them here until then." Ana let her chin drop to her chest. "Story of our life." CHAPTER 5 Ana awoke late in the night to find Yrin gone. She stretched out her sensesto find him in the next room. A blast of anger and sorrow drenched her senses and she rolled to her feet. She pulled on a robe and crossed into the living area of the suite the Chandrilans had given them in the Governor's Palace. Yrin turned to greet her and she stopped short at the sight of restrained tears in his eyes. Her throat constricted and her breathing became shallow. Something was horribly wrong. The man next to him bowed. "Master Llyr, an honor to meet you at last." Yrin took her hand and brought her forward. "Ana, this is Seth Kharket, one of my best friends from the Temple." She bowed, unable to speak. "What happened," she managed to choke out. Yrin took both her hands and she could see his jaw working. "The night the Knights were to come for our daughters, there was a sweep of Corellia by Sith assassins. They came dressed as Jedi. They never suspected anything until they killed Nya." Ana swayed, dreading his next words. "They tried to stop the assassins, but they killed everyone in the house." His voice broke and he hung his head. "My sisters, Nya's husband, my mother, my nieces and nephew, our daughters..." His composure collapsed completely then and he did nothing to stop the torrent of emotion. She dug her nails into his palm to steady herself, then collapsed to her knees. The lump in her throat turned into violent sobs and she buried her face in his hands. He pulled away gently and she could hear him ushering Seth out. A moment later, he knelt and wrapped her in a comforting embrace. "Our replacements will be here tomorrow night. After that, we can go home." She collapsed against him. "They never come soon enough." "I know," he said quietly. "But if anything, the Jedi taught me patience." "What good is that now," she sobbed into his shoulder. "I don't know," he admitted. "But there's nothing we can do." * * * Ana folded her arms across her chest and squinted into the night sky. "I think I see the shuttle." "They said they'd be landing within the minute. Be patient." She rested her head lightly on his shoulder. "You know how good I am at that." He rubbed his hand along her arm. "We'll be able to leave as soon as I've briefed them." Ana tilted her chin to look at the sky. "There it is." They stood in silence until the ramp lowered. Ara descended, accompanied by Marc. Ana strode forward and they embraced tightly. "I'm so sorry," Ara choked out. "They didn't say who was coming," Yrin remarked to Marc. "We barely found out in time to leave," Ara countered. She turned and embraced Yrin. "The Council gave us all your reports and the briefing material, so as soon as you have your things gathered, the shuttle will take you back home." "Thank you," Yrin said. He reached into the landspeeder and retrieved their bags. "You ready," he asked Ana. She nodded. "Let's go home." * * * Yrin opened the door and ushered Ana into their quarters in silence. He took her bag and set it on the couch, then moved into the kitchen. He returned with two cups of caf to find her sitting in meditative stance, tears running down her face. "It's easier for me to deal with the pain in communion with the Force," she said quietly. He set the cups on the nightstand and knelt next to her. "Mind if I join you?" She opened her eyes and smiled weakly. "Not at all." He took her hands and squeezed gently. She rested her forehead against his shoulder and sighed deeply. "There are too many memories here." "I know," he agreed, drawing her close. "When will it stop?" She looked up. "Is this because you came back? Is our family being murdered because I loved you too much to let you stay?" "No," he assured her. "The Coronet Massacre was too wide-spread to be a vendetta. Every Jedi, potential Jedi, and anyone in close contact with them at the moment of death was killed." Ana looked up at him with a deeply tortured expression. "If you had stayed, would you have been able to protect our daughters?" He drew her tight against him. "I don't know." "I can't stop thinking about what might have been. If we had been there earlier, if we hadn't taken the mission, if we'd had time to bring them home..." He grimaced. "We can't spend the rest of our lives trapped by the memory of what could have happened. It's up to us to keep the rest of the Galaxy alive to have new memories." She laughed weakly. "That is incredibly trite, you know that?" "Sorry. I don't have the experience of lecturing someone every five minutes or explaining every nuance of the Force as you do." He pulled a straight face. "How would you explain it?" She wrapped her arms around him and smiled. "Couldn't have done it better myself." * * * Ana drew herself up to her full height, then pressed the anunciator button. "Come in." She opened the door and entered, then bowed to Master Schilian. He returned the gesture, then gestured to a seat. Ana settled in, keeping as alert as possible. "You wanted to see me, Master?" "Yes. Would you like something to drink?" She smiled slightly. "Do you have an Alderaanian Black tea?" He laughed. "I should have known. The lifeblood of the Majavs." He disappeared into the kitchen and emerged a few minutes later with two mugs. He handed one to her and she sipped at it. It was a strong, almost bitter flavor. "My father used to tell me that this was his favorite drink because it was a lot like the Force. He said that people either used it as a stimulant or to calm themselves. He said that, like the Force, its purpose depended entirely on how you received it." Schilian smiled broadly. "Your father had a unique perspective on the Force, I must say." She frowned at her mug, then wiped away all expressions from her face. "That he did." He nodded. "I heard about your...losses in the Coronet Massacre. I can't tell you how sorry I am because there are no appropriate words." She dipped her head slightly. "Thank you." He pressed his lips into a thin line, then settled into a chair opposite her. "The Council is looking into having your husband take a Padawan. In a matter of weeks, you will be lacking a partner. Rather than find you a new one, I would like to ask that you be assigned to something entirely different." Ana's eyes narrowed. "Exactly how different?" "I have been watching you for a long time. You have many valuable skills that I could use on my staff. If you are amenable, you would be my aide and bodyguard. You would not be off active duty, but you would not be in as much danger." He gestured to the scars on her face and shoulders. "I think the Healers would be very grateful if you took the position." "For how long?" "Undetermined. Until I get killed off or you take another Padawan or someone needs you as a partner." She smiled slightly. "Pretty broad spectrum." "It's intended to be." He leaned forward. "I've seen the way you work with other people, whether they be your Padawan, your husband, or a perfect stranger, and I believe you are trustworthy and reliable. I would consider it a great privilege to have you guarding me. What do you think?" Ana's smile turned quickly into a grin. "It would be a great honor, Master." * * * Ana looked up from her datapad as Yrin entered. "Where have you been?" He grinned. "I found a Padawan." She let the datapad drop into her lap and drew her knees up so he could sit next to her. "What's she like?" "Her name is Tara Lazari. She's eleven, very skilled in self-defense already, and a clever tactician. She's another irate Alderaanian, so you two should get along rather well." Ana kicked him playfully. "That's reassuring. When's the Anithai?" "In nine days." He rested his chin on her knees. "What did Master Schilian want?" "He wants me to be his aide and bodyguard. I accepted." Yrin grinned. "So instead of going on mission after mission where you get injured every time, you'll go on mission after mission where one of them will probably get you injured or killed." She laughed. "Exactly. He thinks the Healers will enjoy the rest." He shrugged. "He's right, you know. Anything that will keep you out of healing trances will be a welcome change." She bit her lip. "You don't mind, then?" "Naturally not. Anything that keeps you alive keeps me happy." She allowed a mocking grin. "How selfish of you." "That's what I do best," he conceded. "I thrive on loving you for purely selfish reasons and I'm sure you're the same." She shrugged. "Point." He grabbed her hand and rocked back. She stood in one smooth motion. "Let's go celebrate."   
  
  
  
  
  



	5. Default Chapter Title

Part 4 PART IV GONE FOR SOLDIERS "Where have all the young men gone? Gone for soldiers, every one. When will they ever learn?" ~Pete Seeger 23 YEARS BEFORE THE BATTLE OF ENDOR CHAPTER 1 They were summoned under the utmost secrecy. A hovercar retrieved them at a clandestine location in the middle of the night and brought them to the most restricted area of the Chancellor's Mansion. The Supreme Chancellor's Guards were there to personally escort them to their destination. By the time the two visitors were ushered into Chancellor Palpatine's office, the entire thing had taken on the tone of an arrest rather than a conference. Master Schilian bowed to the Chancellor, then gestured to his companion. "You've met my aide, Ana Llyr." "Of course." They exchanged bows and the Chancellor gestured them to seats. "Would you like anything to drink?" Schilian steepled his fingers. "Chancellor, all due respect, but I imagine you didn't call us here at this hour to discuss politics over tea." "Indeed." "What is so urgent? You mentioned a series of attacks that were of great concern to the well-being of the Republic." "The attacks, Master Schilian, were carried out by Mandalorian clones." Master Schilian leaned forward, scowling. "You're sure they're clones?" Chancellor Palpatine nodded gravely. "The evidence is irrefutable. We've done genetic testing on all recovered bodies as well as prisoners. Mandalore, allegedly, knows nothing about why the clones are fighting. They were sanctioned for labor purposes, but they seem to have gone insane." Ana exchanged a skeptical glance with Schilian. "Insane," she echoed. "Yes, insane. If a clone's mind isn't properly developed, there are complications. These fighting clones seem to come from the excessive demand for free labor. They weren't given the proper time to mature, so their minds broke." He stood and punched up a hologram. A series of star systems came up. "These are the systems which have been assaulted. I think I can safely say that this will lead to all-out war." "The wars against clones has been going on since I was a Padawan, whether ethically or literally. Why the sudden declaration of war?" "The armies are moving with purpose deeper into the Core. Countless worlds and constituents are threatened by what has happened to other worlds." Schilian inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. "You want the Jedi to fight your war for you." "Not precisely," Palpatine countered. "In two weeks, at the next general assembly of the Senate, I am going to propose sending our military forces to destroy these clone armies. I want the Jedi Order to support my decision in the name of mercy and justice and I would like a contingent of Jedi Knights to supplement the military." He turned. "Specifically, Obi-wan Kenobi and his Padawan, Anakin Skywalker." Schilian nodded. "They are our most formidable warriors. For the well-being of the Galaxy, we will do as you ask. But understand that we cannot declare war on those we serve; our support will have limits." Palpatine's mouth twitched, then compressed into a thin line. "Perfectly understood." * * * The Masters dubbed the room the "conservatory." To the children of the Temple who used it for rudimentary training, it was simply the "chime chamber." Musical instruments, all powered by the Force, were arrayed in concentric circles. Children from toddlers to those waiting to be taken as Padawans came here often during the recreational hour. The novices could make a series of clanging noises. The more advanced could pick out melodies. In one circle, two seven-year-olds were making passable attempts at a duet. Brows furrowed in concentration, they were slowly making out a distinct melody. Ara Ntoa glanced at her companion. "Valin's quite the musician for his age." Ana grinned. "My namesake isn't so bad herself." Ara sighed. "I thank the Force that she got her father's eyes and musical abilities." "I can't figure out where in the Galaxy he got his musical talent from. Certainly not from his parents." "Well, the Force isn't hereditary. Why should talent be?" Ana shrugged, then half-turned. She glanced back at the dour young woman standing in the doorway. "How are things with Sari going?" Ara kept her back to her Padawan. "She is impatient; she questions everything and trusts nothing. After four years, I still am unable to gain her confidence. I don't know what exactly is wrong with me." Ana nodded. "Not everyone can be the perfect Padawan you were, Ara," she teased. "You have to be patient in all things and keep constant vigilance. You will be the most important teacher she will have in her life. We are taken from our parents because they cannot teach us all that we require for this life. It is your job to recover their position. Take advantage of that." Ara nodded. "Isn't Yrin about to produce a Jedi Knight one of these days?" Ana smiled slightly. "Tara's near the end of the Trials, yes." "It's about time." Ana sent her a smile. "They're actually talking to the Council now. I wouldn't be surprised if this were the last set of Trials." "Only on days off do important things happen," Ara quipped. She pulled on her robe and followed Sari into the corridor. "Let me know when it happens, all right?" Ana retrieved her beeping commlink. "Master Llyr here." "Master Llyr here as well," Yrin replied. Ana sucked in her breath. "Only on my day off," she said with a grin. "Congratulations to you both." "We're going to the usual place to celebrate. Could you pick up the things from the quarters and meet us there in thirty-five minutes?" "Of course. Llyr out." Ana shut off the commlink, then turned to grin at Ara and Sari. "If you'll excuse me, I have a pressing appointment with a Jedi Master." * * * "Master Llyr!" Ana turned to see Tara pushing her way through the crowd. "We were told that all Jedi on the task force needed to be here." "Correct." Ana tilted her chin. "Where's Yrin?" "He ran into a few dozen friends," Tara said wryly. "I made my escape while I could." "Find a good seat now, while you can. I have to attend to Master Schilian in preparation for the session." Ana hurried to the Chancellor's guests' entrance where Master Schilian was waiting. "You're nearly late." "I was trying to coordinate the zoo over there," she explained. He adjusted the hang of his formal robes, then ushered her into the box. They took seats near the front. "All right, explain to me again what will happen here." "According to the Vice Chair, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine will address the issue of the war directly after the session reconvenes. He will make an impressive display of statistics and overwrought emotions to soften their hearts, then demand that the military be sent out on this crusade. He will not take any questions nor recognize any sovereignties. He will then turn the floor over to you. You will make your public declaration of support for this venture, then sit back and be decorative for the rest of the session." He sent her an amused look. "I assume that's only the spirit of what what Vice Chair Tarkin said, rather than a direct quote?" She smiled. "With him, you can never tell." The crystal rang, indicating that the session had reconvened. All doors closed and the interior lighting was dimmed. Palpatine's box moved to the central position. "A series of attacks as bloodthirsty and efficient as we have ever seen in our own lifetimes has taken place. Over twenty systems have been assaulted in the last three weeks. Approximately ninety-seven million Republic citizens lie dead on these worlds. The defense forces have been decimated. Every day, thousands of refugees flood into various Coreward ports. "We have been informed that the source of these attacks is the Mandalorian cloning system. While the Mandalorians traditionally use clones for industrial and agricultural roles, there is an increasing number that has been improperly grown and has produced mentally unstable clones. "These warriors, if we can even call them that, have no sense of mercy or tactics or much of anything. They are driven only by their own madness and the next available target. "Anti-cloning legislation in the future is all well and good, but at present we still have an army to deal with. "I request your support in sending our armed forces into battle with these monsters. As ever, I am reticent to send such fine young men and women to face their demise, but for the greater good, sacrifices must be made. "To aid in this noble cause, I have enlisted the help of the Jedi Order. I present to you Master Schilian, head of the Jedi Council." Schilian rose to silence and proceeded to the speaker's podium. "This adversary proves a great threat to everything the Republic and the Jedi Order has fought to protect. Chancellor Palpatine is making a bold and admirable effort in wanting to stop this bloodshed. We of the Jedi Order will be sending six hundred of our finest warriors to aid in his noble quest. We encourage all of you to likewise support him." He stepped down and Palpatine moved back into place. "Any questions or comments before we put the matter to a vote?" Mon Mothma, the junior Senator from Chandrila moved the Chandrilan box into the speakers' arena. "What evidence do you have that this will spread further. For all we know, it could be an isolated series of events. Is there any irrefutable proof that this will not be a vain venture?" "The Mandalorian clones are systematically working their way Coreward in coordinated attacks. The Bilbringi Shipyards, Bothawui, Naboo, Alderaan. Within months at most, we will find them driving for the conquest of Coruscant. We must stop this now." Vice Chair Tarkin stepped forward. "If there are no more objections, we will take an anonymous vote now." Three hours later, after all other pressing legislative matters and petitions had been addressed, Tarkin returned to the stand. "By an overwhelming majority, we have passed the amendment to send military forces against the Mandalorians." Schilian and Ana stood and bowed to each of the Chancellor's staff, then left the arena. "That's settled, then. Time to get to work." * * * "Ana!" Ana turned to see Ara striding towards her. She embraced the younger woman, then pulled back and smiled. "I didn't know you were in the task force." "Sari, Marc, and I all are. We got recalled from a mission for that purpose, but missed the grand spectacle at the Senate." Ana rolled her eyes. "Believe me, you didn't miss much. Only one person objected vocally and the whole thing was followed by three hours of sheer boredom." "As are most sessions of the Senate, Master Llyr." Ana turned to see Palpatine standing to the side, avoiding the press of the crowd. He bowed slightly. "Who is your companion?" Ara turned and began to bow, then froze. Her mouth dropped slightly open. Ana looked between the two, seeing nothing that could have startled her former apprentice so. "Chancellor Palpatine, this is Jedi Knight Ara Ntoa, my former Padawan." "A pleasure I'm sure," Palpatine said with a deep bow. Ana caught a bit of hardness to the skin around his eyes as if he had a sudden headache. "If you'll excuse me, I must see to a few things." Ana caught her friend's arm. "What was that?" Ara sucked in her breath. "*That* was Darth Sidious." Ana stared. "Why didn't you say so before?" "I've never seen the Chancellor before; the face and voice are identical, though. I'd know them anywhere." "Palpatine's not even a Jedi," Ana protested. "Just trust me on this," Ara said quietly. "Accusations against such an authority have to be investigated. All right?" She nodded. "He knows I recognized him. I'm as good as dead." Ana gripped her shoulders. "No, you're not. You escaped his assassins more than once. You won't fall now." She shook her head. "Until his purposes are complete, he will not spare anyone who can tell others who he really is." "Perhaps you should not be on the task force," Ana suggested. "No, I have to get as far away from here as possible. Even if it means fighting a war." CHAPTER 2 "There are those who strongly oppose Jedi involvement in this war," Ana reported, glancing around the Grand Corridor of the Senate Complex. "Senator Organa firmly believes, and I am not sure he is incorrect, that the entire war is some kind of lure." "A lure," Schilian repeated. "With the Fleet and groundtroops spread throughout the Galaxy trying to track down every cell of fighting clones, Coruscant is left vulnerable." "You think someone staged this entire war to take a shot at the planet?" Ana folded her arms. "Not the planet, the Republic. My senses are suggesting at a coup d'etat. And with so many of the Jedi away as well, there's even less of a protective barrier around the justice system." "You may be right, but I'd rather not jump to any..." Ana suddenly shoved him down and ignited her lightsaber just in time to catch a blaster bolt on it. She whirled, catching four more of them. "Feel like a flying leap," she asked wryly. "All right, now we can start jumping to conclusions." "Get under cover. I'll hold them off until Security can neutralize the threat." She backed up, covering him until he was safely out of range. "Get on the comm, see what's holding them." Her moment's distraction allowed a hit to the small of her back. She whirled and drew the fire away from Schilian's position, ignoring every sting a bolt afforded her. One by one, the blasters fell silent. At last, she was alone in the middle of the corridor. "All clear," a security guard called. The cry was echoed by the others and Ana finally allowed the pain to come, collapsing her knees beneath her. Schilian rushed to catch her and stretched her out. A medic inspected her carefully. "One in the small of her back, one in the sternum, and three in the left bicep." Ana shrugged painfully. "Not so bad." Schilian rested a hand on her forearm. "I suggest we keep her in the Senate medcenter and simply summon one of the Temple Healers to attend her. It's not wise to move her that far across the city in her condition." "Agreed." Schilian squeezed her arm. "Just couldn't go in for your annual performance review without saving my life, could you." She winced. "You know me, the perfectionist. I like to earn my pay." * * * "Send Master Llyr in." Ana straightened in surprise as her husband entered. He sent her a grim smile, then turned and bowed to the Council. "We thank you for travelling here to make a full report. We have heard of how effective you have been in the battles." "Not effective enough, I'm afraid," Yrin said quietly. "Masters, there is a greater danger out there than the clone armies we have been fighting. "More than half the task force we sent lies dead on various worlds. Only about five percent of them fell at the hands of Mandalorians." There was a rustle, as if the entire Council had shifted in their seats. "Explain this you must." "Sith death squads," Yrin declared. "They come into camps in the middle of the night and kill every living thing in the premises, whether they be Jedi, civilian, or Republic officer. The Sith we have captured have all committed suicide rather than betray their own kind. We are unable to track where they come from or where they will strike next. We only know that every morning, we awake to find our numbers diminished by this methodical slaughter. "I have lists of what camps were attacked in which order and the lists of casualties." "The danger is here as well," Ki-Adi-mundi interjected. "An attempt on the life of Master Schilian took place just a week ago. Other Knights and Masters have fallen recently under similar circumstances. This methodical slaughter is not a military assault, but a blatant attempt to dissolve the Order." "My comrades will want to know what we are to do about these death squads." Schilian sighed. "I suggest that a watch be kept at all hours of the night, no matter how small the encampment or how remote the system. Beyond that, we can offer no help." He waved his hand vaguely. "May the Force be with you. Ana, make sure he is escorted back to his quarters." They bowed and exited. Yrin caught her arm. "There was an assassination attempt?" She nodded. "No one was killed and I was the only one injurued." "Why didn't you tell me?" She laughed shortly. "You were in a war zone; I didn't expect to see you for another three weeks. Why didn't you tell me about the death squads?" He drew her into an embrace, burying his face in her shoulder. "Because Ara was the first victim." She stiffened and crushed him to her. "How," she breathed. "It was almost experimental, since she was the first. I honestly think it was an assassination crossed with an interrogation. They formed a perimeter holding everyone off while they tortured her. By the time they got through, it was too late." He loosened his grip slightly. "They killed Marc and Sari in the rush to get out." Ana tightened her grip around his neck and buried her face in his sternum. He held her for a long minute, not daring to speak. "Did they give them a proper memorial?" He nodded. "Just before we evacuated." She collapsed in sobs. "I should have been there," she said quietly. "I'm never there when they need me." He pulled back and gripped her elbows so hard that she had to look up. "You saved lives here. Ara would have died whether you were at Alderaan or not." She sighed. "I have the bad habit of blaming everything on myself, don't I?" "As always," he agreed. She squeezed her eyes shut. "How long are you here?" "Just the night. A contingent of us are being sent to Obroa-skai in a few days and I have to leave from Commenor." Her brows furrowed and a wave of sadness passed through her senses. "In that case, we should enjoy every moment left to us." * * * Lanai looked up as Ana entered the tapcafe and beckoned her over. Ana crossed to the table and settled wearily into the other chair. "Sorry I'm late, but the Council ran late. There have been more large-scale attacks in the Inner Rim and they're trying to figure out what to do. We can't recall everyone to this location because it would show that we submit to evil as well as the fact that it would make a major strike all the more possible." Lanai grimaced. "Understandable." Ana shook her head and signalled a waiter. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't bring the war here. I imagine both of us are rather weary of hearing about it." She smiled. "It's all I hear all day." Ana looked up as the waiter arrived. "Could I have tisane and the Chandrilan gorrnt dish, please?" Lanai smiled slightly. "I can't see how you can stand tisane. Not half as medicinal as caf." "If I were to drink the caf you slackers at Intelligence do, I wouldn't have the strength to think about whether or not it was medicinal." She arched one eyebrow. "Speaking of Chandrila, I heard about Ara. I'm so sorry." Ana studied her hands. "Thank you. It was a bit of a shock to all of us." "Have you heard from Yrin?" Ana let out an exasperated sigh. "Four days ago. He got special clearance to call me on my birthday." "How is he?" Her smile disappeared. "He's surviving, but this war is grating on him. Especially with the threat of those Sith death squads lurking out there. He's afraid of who might be next." "As we all are." Lanai bit her lip. "I sense that your position is become more and more perilous by the day. There will definitely be a day when you may have to retreat off-planet. I don't want anything endangering you in that situation. I've taken the liberty of creating false identities for you, Yrin, and Valin. You only need contact me. Wherever I am, I'll find a way to get the necessary things to you." Ana smiled slightly. "You're a good friend, but I hope that day never comes." "As do I." * * * Ana pulled her cloak tighter around her form and watched the street directly in front of the Temple. The message had only said to expect a repulsorcab at 1900 and to be in formal dress. Suspecting who the message was from immediately, she'd made the necessary preparations. Her hair was braided in a halo at the back of her skull. Two braids hung from that and joined in a v midway down her back. The rest was left in a thick mass of curls. Her gown, a sweeping mass of loveti mothsilk and Chandrilan lace, left her shoulders bare, but sheathed in shimmering green from deltoids to ankles. It was fitted to her torso, then flared into a full skirt. The Alderaanian opal that Master Khil had given her for her thirteenth birthday lay on a silver linked chain around her throat. Her lightsaber hung from the narrow gold belt that encircled her waist. A cab stopped in front of her and the door open. She caught her breath, then released it as Yrin emerged in his formal robes. She smiled broadly in order to cover the tears of relief. "My hero, back from the wars." He crossed to her and swept her up in a tight embrace. "It's been a long five months." She rested her head against his shoulder. "You have no idea." "Did you miss me?" She laughed and kissed him. "What do you think?" He set her down and gestured to the cab. "Your transport awaits." She climbed in and he moved in beside her. "In ten minutes, the victory fireworks will start. I thought we should get good seats." She smiled. "The Senate arboretum?" "As usual." She settled herself into his embrace, content to just feel his heartbeat, hear his quiet breathing. She sighed deeply. "Any good news? I want to forget the war tonight." He smiled. "Anakin Skywalker was Knighted thirty seconds after he and the Queen of Naboo became engaged." Ana gasped in delight. "It's about time they got around to that." "The Knighting or the engagement?" "Both." He laughed and squeezed her arm. "You look amazing tonight." She kissed him deeply. "I figured you could use a pretty sight after sharing a tent with the walking combat fatigues for the entire war." He laughed. "You heard about Colonel Melvar, did you?" She grimaced. "I met him once at a formal function here on Coruscant and I was frightened enough then. I understand he's added to his considerable charms since then." Yrin opened the door and helped her out. After paying the driver, she took his arm and accompanied him in. The Senate arboretum was one of the few places on Coruscant where the view of the sky was unadulterated by the cityscape. It was half a mile long, a quarter of a mile wide, and her favorite place on the entire planet. The room was crowded with various dignitaries and officers of the armed forces. Yrin led her to a marble bench beneath an orowood tree and sat next to her. "Chancellor Palpatine will be making a speech just before the fireworks start at the end of tonight's Senate session," he whispered. "It'll broadcast all over the planet." The holocomm crackled and everyone turned to watch the Chancellor's broadcast. "Citizens of the Republic, tonight we mark the end of the war that has been afflicting us for years. I welcome all those heroes who have just returned from our battlefronts and thank them for their service. Without it, we should have found ourselves in great danger. "However, the war is not over yet, nor will it be until those responsible for the atrocities. Tonight may be the end of the clone wars, but we are in mortal danger because of corruption and ambition. It is an affliction that has been with us for over a thousand generations. "The Jedi Order is responsible for the calamities which have ravaged your sovereignties over the last months. It is only by the diligence of strong leaders that they have not destroyed us wholly. "It is time that we purge this epidemic. Our government has been irrevocably weakened by it and it is time we made a new start. My own Queen said fourteen years ago that she realized that the Republic no longer functioned. She pleaded with me to restore justice. "Tonight, in the birth of the Galactic Empire, I will began to grant her request. In the months and years to come, I will wipe away all traces of the corruption that the Republic represented. "It is time for us to take arms against our oppressors, the Jedi. No longer will they murder our families and rob our children of their souls. As a soil must be purged of contaminants in order to produce, so must we purge this contaminant from our histories, our lives, and our future. "Join with me in celebration now, for we are at the dawning of the New Order." The room burst into applause and cheers as the holocomm switched off. Some began shouting anti-Republic epithets. Others vociferously advocated Palpatine's claims. Ana just stared at her husband in mute horror. Yrin frowned. "He went from hailing us as heroes to declaring war on us in under a minute." "Not war," she said quietly. "Genocide." She looked up at the fireworks visible through the transparisteel ceiling. "Ara told me that he was Darth Sidious and behind all the murders over the last fourteen years, but I didn't believe her because no Jedi could rise to that great power without our knowing of his abilities. I told her we'd have to investigate before making such accusations. Now she's dead because I didn't believe and Emperor Palpatine has a New Order dead set on our extermination." He took her hand and helped her up. "I think it's best if we find a less pro-Palpatinistic area to watch the fireworks from." He led her out and to a tram. They paid the fare, then boarded the line bound for the Temple District. The fireworks blazed in the eastern sky, directly to their left. A brighter flash than any of the previous, followed by a great rumbling. The spectators, puzzled, turned towards the source of the display to find the Jedi Temple collapsing in flames and rubble. Ana curled into a ball as the Force-equivalent of its destruction slammed into her. Screams pierced her senses, fire raced through her veins, and every nerve jolted. She regained her senses to find Yrin on his knees, retching. The sweat pouring down his forehead became indistinguishable from the tears streaming down his face. The other passengers paid them little attention as their gazes were fixed on the destruction of such a major landmark. "Valin," Ana gasped. He nodded and rose to his feet, wiping his mouth with a trembling hand. "And everyone else in the Temple." "Where's the commlink?" He fished it out of his pocket and handed it to her. She turned away from the conflagration and dialed it to a channel. "Lanai here." "Ana here. We're alive and we need your help." Lanai sighed audibly. "Are you all safe?" "No," Ana said in a strained voice. "Yrin and I were at the Senate arboretum when the speech was made. Valin was at the Temple. How soon can you get us off-planet?" "Where are you?" "Trapped on a tram headed for the Temple District. I assume they'll turn us around. The next stop back is the Corell Sector of the city." "Perfect. I can meet you there and get you to Eastport within fifteen minutes. I'll bring your civilian clothes, identification, records, and the passkeys to the ship to the south exit of the Corell Sector tram stop in ten minutes." "Thank you. Ana out." She shut off the comm and stared at the passengers, still enrapt. "For now we're safe." Yrin turned away from the entrance and drew her chin down so he looked straight into her eyes. "Don't be so sure. Heading this way are six stormtroopers." She frowned. "What?" "Palpatine's most efficient warriors. We don't want them to even try and identify us. How are you at Alter Mind?" "I can convince this entire car that we don't exist." He nodded solemnly. "Perfect." She looked over his shoulder and sucked in her breath. The paddle each held in his left hand was all-too-familiar. Masked as a medical scanner, they would take a bioscan and all Force-sensitives would have their scans marked by a blue corona. "They have the scanners. The electronic means of finding a Jedi." He nodded. "Don't worry about it." He squeezed her arm. "Do not fight back or use your saber unless the situation escalates." "Yrin," she hissed, "Alter Mind doesn't work on electronics." "Very perceptive," a voice behind Yrin said. Yrin shot her a reassuring look, then stood. "Is there a problem." "Not unless you make one." Ana blocked out their voices, instead brushing against each mind in the tram and blocking out any recollection of the last ten minutes. She then planted a few suggestions and sat back. "Papers?" Ana moved her hand slightly. "You don't need to see my papers." "I don't need to see her papers," the trooper said blankly. His companion seized her by the neck and slammed her against the viewport of the tram. "Papers, now." Ana slammed her knee into the unprotected area below the chest plate, then elbowed into the exposed bit of throat. Straightening her arms and raising them between the trooper's arms, she hammered down on the elbow joints. The grip slackened and she allowed herself to fall back out of range. Her hand removed the saber from her belt and she held it in a low guard stance. The hiss of another saber confirmed that Yrin had done the same. The troopers opened fire and she waded into their midst, deflecting shots and cutting the troopers down. She deactivated her saber and reattached it to her belt. "Let me see your cloak and saber," she snapped. "Your arm..." "Now," she hissed. "We don't have time to argue about it." He handed her the saber and she attached it to the loop next to her own. She then draped the cloak over her shoulders, concealing the weapons. "Leave your utility belt here and remember, invisibility." They left a tram of stunned citizens behind and descended to the mezzanine level. Lanai embraced her silently, then handed them each a bag. Yrin disappeared into the men's refresher and Ana followed Lanai into the other. "My ship is waiting to take you wherever you need. It's been refueled and overhauled so you should have no problems." "I'll just be happy if the rest of the night is uneventful." Ana removed her dress and shoes and pulled on the tan slacks, blue sweater, and low boots that Lanai had provided. "I have several sets of clothes for each of you, since you don't exactly have a change of clothes on you." She sighed. "Where are you going?" "The Council notified everyone that if ever an emergency evacuation were to take place, that we were to regroup at Tatooine, then make the jump Coreward. Chandrila's governor promised unconditional support should the need arise." "Do they have enough resources?" "The southern continent is virtually deserted. There's a complex of buildings which can hold up to three thousand. If more than that have survived, and I doubt that, we will deal with it then." "Sounds logical enough." "Do we have a lift slot?" "Forty-five minutes." Ana removed the braids and ran her fingers from root to tip, then pulled it into a simple braid. She emerged and handed the dress, cloak, and lightsabers to Lanai. "If there's a chance you'll get searched, get rid of them. I don't want you suffering for our vendettas." She turned in a circle, her arms spread. "Do I look sufficiently civilian?" Lanai smiled grimly. "You look more civilian than I do." Ana embraced her tightly. "I hope to see you before all of this is over." "I'll make the necessary arrangments," she replied. "In the meantime, we have a lift slot to catch." CHAPTER 3 Ana pulled back the lever and the starlines shrunk into stars. Chandrila hung before them. "Chandrila Port Control to Seventh Dawn." Yrin tapped the comm switch. "Seventh Dawn here, requesting clearance to land." "We're reading a group of ships near your position, Dawn. Are you an invasion force?" "Hardly. Governor Mon Mothma has granted us special permission to set up camp on the southern continent. Security clearance Aleph-Charlie 906 Hapsur." "Copy that, Dawn. Clearance granted. Follow heading 894 mark 3. A representative of the Governor's staff will be there to meet your group." "Thank you. Seventh Dawn out." He toggled over to the flagships primary frequency. "Seventh Dawn here. Ready when you are." "On our mark, proceed to the southern continent. Maintain radio silence unless an attack comes. The southern continent is rather snowed in, so move into the complex and stay there." "Copy that." A few minutes later, the signal came. Ana throttled forward, following the course heading. As soon as they hit the atmosphere over the tempest-tossed waters of the southern hemisphere, they were buffeted by gale-force winds. Ana gritted her teeth and fought to keep them on course. The viewports were clouded by snow and sleet. Finally, the complex came into view. She landed clear of the nearest ship and cut the engines. "We made it," she said quietly. "That we did." She unstrapped and stood. "I should let our passengers know." In the hold, twelve others were seated. Four were Padawans, six were Knights, and two were Masters. "We're here. It'll be cold out, so get into the complex as quickly as possible. Someone will be meeting with all of us, presumably for logistical reasons." She ushered them to the hatch and lowered the ramp. They dashed outside and across the short distance to the complex of buildings. Once inside, Ana shook off the snow and gazed around. There was an abysmally small number of them left, less than two hundred. They hadn't been able to get an official number at Tatooine, where they had redistributed the survivors among the ships that weren't returning to Coruscant. There had been no time. "Master Llyr. Glad I am to see you alive." Ana turned to see Master Yoda toddling towards her. She smiled slightly. "As I am I, Master. We have lost far too many already." "Too many we lost with the first one," he countered. "With me will you walk?" "Yes, Master." Ana fell in step with him, being careful not to move ahead. He emitted a deep sigh. "Many of the Council we lost on Coruscant. Off-planet a few of us were and thus spared." "What of Master Schilian?" "In the Temple he was," Yoda said remorsefully. "Only I, Ki-Adi-Mundi, Depa Billaba, and Adi Gallia remain." Ana sucked in her breath. "So many," she said quietly. "Yes. Wished you to be his replacement Master Schilian did. Agree with him the Council does." Ana flushed. "Are you offering me a position on the Council, Master?" "Yes. Take it will you?" She stopped and bowed. "It would be my great honor, Master." * * * "The Chosen One is here," Yrin remarked dryly. "We have nothing to fear." Ana's mouth twitched into a smile and she shifted her position on the bed to look at him. "Did he bring his wife?" "Certainly not. It is too dangerous for her to be here. She is staying with his mother on Tatooine until the situation improves." She nodded. "It's for the best." She leaned towards him. "This is a war I do not believe we can win." He frowned. "Optimistic words from the newest member of the Jedi Council." She pulled her knees up to her chest. "Near the end of my Trials, I had a very strange vision. I had no idea what it meant. It spoke of mass destruction by shadow warriors. Jedi were being placed in mass graves, dying as they entered. For the most part, those laying them in there were in shadow. I saw friends, Masters, most of the Jedi Council. I did not take much part in the process, but my face was half in shadow, half in light and I buried a few." He shuddered. "In light of recent events, it makes a lot of sense, except for your part. Where was I?" She looked up, her eyes glistening. "You were among the last that I had to bury." He nodded. "I suspected as much." He crossed to her and enfolded her in an embrace. "In time, my love, in time." She sniffed loudly, blinking back the tears. "I've been hoping it wouldn't happen for the last thirteen years. Master Yoda's always reminding us that the future is always in motion. I thought maybe..." He stroked her hair. "Shh, I know." She sighed deeply and rested her cheek against the ridge of his shoulder. "I look around here and wonder who's next, when it will stop. It frightens me and every decision we make on the Council is colored by my fear that we're sending people straight to their deaths." "It's always a risk," he agreed, "but you know what Master Khil would say." She nodded miserably. "We'll just have to wait on the Force, as usual." * * * Ana joined Master Yoda on the stand. "The count is in. One hundred and seventy-four." "Prepared are the division lists?" She nodded. "Master Ki-Adi-Mundi will be handling the announcement." "Thank you." She gazed over the assemblage. "I hope this saves a few lives." "Mind your fears you must," Yoda said quietly. Ana turned to look at him, a bit surprised. "Yes, Master." The chime sounded and she was amazed to see Master Yuize step forward. He waited for those assembled to fall silent, then began intoning the Sixth Hour Blessing. "This is the Sixth Hour of the day. As we reach the midpoint of the day's sojourn let our energies be renewed and let us take joy in the living Force which grants us those energies. Let not the rest of our day pass in idle endeavors, but let us recommit to even our simplest duties. May the Force be with us all." He returned to his seat and Ki-adi-mundi stepped to the lectern. "We have come here to organize the remainder of the Order. At today's count, we number one hundred seventy-four. "For our own safety, we will divide into six groups, with one member of the Council presiding over each. It will be a geographical matter, with twenty-nine people assigned to each region. "You will not have say in the matter of where you are placed; we have taken into consideration specific requests, but other than that, we will not be tailoring the distribution from this point onward. "Master Yoda will be staging from Dagobah and presiding over the Bespin, Naboo, and Tynna groups. "Master Gallia will be staging from Dantooine and presiding over the Alderaan, Dantooine, and Agamar groups. "Master Llyr will be staging from here on Chandrila and presiding over the Chandrila, Yavin, and Raltiir groups. "Master Kenobi will be staging from Tatooine and presiding over the Tatooine, Bothawui, and Naboo groups. "Master Billaba will be staging from Almania and presiding over any groups in the Corporate Sector. "I will be staging from Alderaan and presiding over the Alderaan, Ord Mantell, and Kuat groups. "You will be notified of your assignments tonight and contacted by one of us by tomorrow. Any questions should be referred through the person directly responsible for your region. "May the Force be with you all." * * * "Meet we will once every two weeks on Dagobah. Report on the condition of your groups you must. Short of death, no excuses there are for not coming." They all tried to at least offer a grim smile, but facing the reality that they may never see each other again was too much. They instead all executed formal bows with a tight embrace here or there, and boarded their shuttles. And then they were gone, the remnants of the Jedi Order possibly never to reconvene in this life. Ana felt an arm slip over her shoulders and pull her into an embrace. "Frightening, isn't it?" "Yes," Yrin agreed. "Let's go inside. The group leaders need you to brief them before they take off and a man from the Familiarization Commission wants to talk to you." "Familiarization?" He shrugged. "The Governor apparently pulled some strings and wants us as inconspicuous as possible, which means putting the adults in jobs and families in homes." "It makes sense," she admitted. She led the way into the complex. Seth Tarnet and Lia Kharkan were waiting in the Grand Audience Chamber. Ana bowed and gestured to chairs. "I'll make this quick, since I'm sure we all want our groups evacuated and secured as soon as possible. "I will be reporting to the rest of the Council every two weeks. I want a weekly report, more if anything at all goes wrong. For a thousand generations, we have been charged with the job of protecting the Galaxy. Now we have the job of protecting each other. Do it well. "If things get extreme, contact me immediately. I will be there personally if necessary to see that you have the help you need. The communal rendezvous point is Dagobah. "I want to hear from you as soon as you reach your destinations. If anything should happen to me, seniority goes to Seth by default. Any questions?" "Not currently," Lia said. Seth nodded in agreement. "How are the groups split up?" "You each have nine in your group. I have eleven. Since this is the most secure haven of the three, I'll have the younger Padawans without Masters and the pre-admission children. The rest of the assignments are arbitrary." She folded her hands before her. "Anything else? May the Force be with you." She embraced each of them, then stepped back and watched them leave. Yrin linked his arm through hers and smiled slightly. "Next stop, the bureaucrats." Ana rested her head on his shoulder. "Must we? I've had enough heartbreak for one year without having to deal with sadistic plots." He gestured towards the corridor. "Conference room three. You want me to come with you?" Ana shrugged. "I think it's better I deal with this alone." She turned and kissed him lightly. "Wait for me here?" "As always." * * * Yrin returned to the house allotted to them to find Ana in tears. She leaned heavily on the table, her shoulders heaving with silent sobs. "What happened?" She turned and bit her lip. "Lia's group never made to Raltiir." "Oh, no," he gasped. "So they're..." She nodded. "It's not confirmed, but they're either dead or prisoners of the Sith, which isn't much better." "I have to believe that the Sith wouldn't take prisoners unless it benefited them." She nodded miserably. "We have a traitor somewhere in the Survivors. I know it. The Sith may be powerful, but they wouldn't know precisely where to be to intercept a ship of refugees." "I agree, but that still narrows it down to one hundred sixty-five." "And it will take more deaths to figure it out," she confirmed. "I hate this." He rested a hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged it off and turned away. Her arm swept across the table, demolishing anything in its path. She then threw the table over, stumbling with the momentum and collapsing against it. Yrin knelt and embrace her from behind and she turned to bury her face in his shoulder. "I can't do this." He rubbed his hand along her spine. "Don't think that way. None of this is your fault." She sighed deeply. "I'm sending them to their deaths, aren't I." "You couldn't have known." He pulled back. "We're going to do a lot of things with uncertain outcomes. Just trust yourself." * * * Ana rolled over and tapped the comm. "Yes?" "I'm dirtside and it's urgent." Ana frowned and sat up. "Lanai?" "Yes." "How did you find us?" "That's what I need to talk to you about. I'll be there in five minutes." THere was a click and the comm shut off. Yrin rolled onto his side and rested a hand on her back. "Is that who I think it is?" "Yes," Ana said. She rolled out of bed and pulled on a robe. "I think we have trouble." He groaned and fell onto his back, spread-eagled. "As always." She sat and pulled her shoes on. "I'll be back soon." Five minutes later, she let Lanai in. She embraced Ana tightly, then pulled back. "You've been sold out." Ana sucked in her breath. "Thirteen weeks; I would have figured less time. How do you know?" "I saw a report come through Intel listing every Jedi on Chandrila, their locations, and everything." Ana folded her arms across her chest, feeling sick. "How long," she asked quietly. "About two days." Lanai winced. "I'm pretty sure that they'll be sending one of the death squads." "Undoubtedly." Lanai looked over her shoulder. "I have to get back before they start to suspect something." Ana nodded. "Thank you for letting us know." "What are you going to do?" "I don't know." She sighed. "I'll think of something." She saw Lanai to her speeder, then returned to the bedroom. She turned to the window and buried her face in her hands. "They're coming." She nodded. "Two days at most." She turned. "I'll contact Master Yoda. Could you arrange a meeting for 0800 of all adults in our group?" He nodded. "Here?" "Of course. We don't have much time." CHAPTER 4 They came in the middle of the night, just hours after ten Jedi had left the planet. Ana sat in meditation the entire day, preparing for the imminent assault, and only rose when they entered the darkened house. "You're wasting your time," she said firmly as the four appeared. "I am the only one left on planet." The center one ignited his saber. "We have orders to kill all Jedi on the planet, so it really doesn't matter." She swept her saber up into a guard stance. "Yes, it does, because you'll never get to kill me." The other four ignited their sabers and moved in. She snorted. "Four of you for one Master? I'm not sure whether to laugh or be flattered." Any further mocking was cut off as they commenced the attack. Ana was barely aware of her movements, deep in combat meditation. She moved smoothly, alternating between the grips to parry every blow that the Sith attempted. She went into a deep lunge, parrying at a dangerously unguarded angle, then shifted all weight to her forward leg and unleashed a roundhouse kick. The Sith to her right stumbled back under the impact and she drove her saber into the solar plexus of his partner, then immediately dropped to her knee and parried a blow that would have bisected her if it had landed. One of the others attempted to attack from her flank, but she canted to the side, resting on her elbow, and landed a hook kick that sent his saber flying. She then rose to her feet, hunched forward and let the blade travel through the hollow of the first one's throat. Her action left her momentarily unprotected and she felt the Sith who had tried to catch her off guard press the hilt of his saber to her back. She whirled, only to catch the blade full in the chest. She caught her breath, then swung her saber in an arc that decapitated him. The remaining Sith bludgeoned her over the ear with his weapon and she fell into darkness. * * * She awoke a bit disoriented. Her chest no longer hurt, probably because of the healing trance she'd undergone to stay alive, but she felt as though her mind had been ransacked. She had all-too-vivid recollections of the past few days. She'd undergone the Force equivalent of a deep interrogation as they attempted to extract any information she had about the Jedi Order's whereabouts. She could hear voices in the darkness. "We're not going to get anything more from her. It's best if we kill her now." "Leave her and the traitor to die in the streets as a message." "We have our orders from Lord Sidious." "The juxtaposition of their deaths will send a clear message to the Chandrilan insurgents. They know the Jedi are traitors and must die for their crimes; the fact that we killed the senior Senator will let them know that we don't tolerate the Jedi's conspirators." There was a hiss of breath. "All right, but we'll have to reinflict the damage to the Jedi. Healing trances work too well for her to die." A blood-red blade ignited and she finally saw the face associated with the voice. She set her jaw and stared the Sith in the face as he sunk the blade into her chest. Her expression did not change until the pain forced her into unconsciousness once more. * * * "We found her in one of the main thoroughfares, more dead than alive. The lightsaber wound, in addition to coming within a millimeter of vaporizing her heart, gave her a rather nasty collapsed lung, broke a few bones, and would have forced her to bleed to death if it hadn't partially cauterized everything. As it is, it took her three weeks in bacta to be able to regain consciousness, even for two minutes." Mon Mothma looked down at the sleeping form of the woman, frowning. "Did she have any identification? She's familiar to me." The medic shook his head. "None. She was in civilian clothes, but she was carrying this." He handed her a cylindrical object with inscriptions and extra handles attached to the base. Mon Mothma turned it over. "Alderaanian design. The Jedi refugees here were led by an Alderaanian Jedi Master. I thought they evacuated four weeks ago." "Perhaps they thought her dead." "More likely she stayed behind as a diversion." The woman stirred, then moaned. Her blue eyes fluttered open and she squinted. "Where am I?" "In safe hands," Mon Mothma assured. "Who are you?" The woman relaxed slightly and closed her eyes. "Master Ana Llyr of the erstwhile Jedi Order. How long have I been out?" "At least three weeks." Ana sucked in her breath. "I need to contact a few people." Mon Mothma nodded. "I'll see about getting you a comm." Ana looked at the medic. "Could I get some water?" He handed her a glass and helped her sit up. She drank it, then handed the glass back. "When can I get out of here?" "A few hours, if you feel up to it." She nodded wearily. Mon Mothma left the room to make a few calls, then returned. "I've secured a comm for you in a recently abandoned office. Are you up to a short walk?" Ana laughed shortly. "Of course. I've been malingering three weeks too long." * * * Ana ran headlong down the ramp of the shuttle and tackled Yrin in a fierce embrace. He wrapped his arms around her form, nearly crushing the breath from her. "I thought I'd never see you again," he said hoarsely. "I know," she replied in kind. "What happened to you?" "I killed three Sith before the fourth got in a lucky shot to my chest. I passed out and the next thing I remember is coming out of a healing trance. They had done the Force equivalent of a deep interrogation me, but I was otherwise healed. Two of them were discussing what to do with me; they decided that as an example to Chandrila, they'd leave the senior Senator and I in the street to die. I survived their efforts and went into bacta for three weeks. As soon as I could, I contacted you and caught a shuttle here." He pulled back and smiled slightly. "You always had the fun assignments." She shoved him gently. "What news?" "Here, we lost two people in an animal attack. Two of the groups under Adi Gallia were wiped out by Sith death squads aided by civilian insurgents. Master Yoda lost half of his group in a similar attack. Ki-adi-mundi..." "How many left," she demanded. He bit his lip. "Eighty-eight." She swayed, then steadied herself against his shoulder. "I leave you alone for four weeks and you wipe out half the survivors," she said quietly. He nodded. "Are you going to the biweekly Council meeting?" "Yes. I'll have to leave tomorrow. I suppose I should check in with our interim group leader before then." He offered an arm. "I'll show you the way." * * * Ana ducked into Master Yoda's hut and straightened as much as she could. She then reflexively bowed. "Be seated you should in your condition." She took a seat against the wall, since there wasn't much space anywhere else. "I've been out of the healing trance for a week, Master." "Not that do I mean. With child you are." Ana's jaw dropped. "What?" Yoda turned and offered a rare smile. "Know you did not?" She blushed deeply. "No. I've been a bit preoccupied the last month." There was a rustle of cloth against the door and Masters Kenobi and Ki-adi-mundi entered. They both bowed to her, then were seated. "We are glad to have you rejoin us." She bowed. "As am I." "Be patient you must. Soon we will eat." She smiled slightly. "Yes, Master." She sat back. "I think we'd all have enjoyed the Council meetings more if they'd all started with a meal." Yoda shuffled in, bearing four bowls. "On Coruscant, lightyears you did not have to travel to be there." "True." Ana took one of the bowls and began eating. Yoda passed out the other bowls, then sat. "Master Kenobi has requested to report first, as he has urgent news." Obi-wan set his bowl down. "Anakin Skywalker, the Chosen One, has turned to the Dark Side." Ana sucked in her breath in shock. "Are you sure?" "Fairly sure. I grew suspicious while we were on a reconnoitering mission because of his behavior as well as unaccounted for time. Last week, he admitted to receiving 'additional' training from Emperor Palpatine. "His mother was killed recently and he blames me partially because I was nearby but could do nothing to stop it." Ki-adi-mundi nodded. "His mother was always his great weakness, the source of his fear and anger." Ana stiffened. "He knows the location of all the refugee groups." Ki-adi-mundi nodded. "It would explain the recent attacks." "I've asked him to meet me on Eol Sha in two weeks, to turn him back or sever ties. I'd like Council approval." "Any objections," Ana asked. Yoda and Ki-adi-mundi shook their heads. "Approve we do of these measures." "There is more." They all turned to stare at him. "More?" "I sent his wife to Alderaan because the Emperor, inexplicably, bombarded his own homeworld and it is not safe for her there. I have learned that she is pregnant." Yoda's ears drooped. "Unexpected this is and unfortunate." Ana caught a flash of insight. "Anakin Skywalker is not the Chosen One." They all frowned at her. "Explain." "The Chosen one is a Skywalker, but it is not Anakin. He has tipped the scales of the Force. His son will be the one to balance the Force, as the prophets have foretold." Kenobi sagged. "She's right." "Protected he must be," Yoda said quietly. He turned to Obi-wan. "Master Kenobi, you have had stewardship over one Chosen One. I give you stewardship over the true one." * * * "Tired?" Ana lifted her head from her folded hands and smiled at Yrin. "I was waiting for a message from Lanai and I must have fallen asleep. How late is it?" "Too late." He lifted her from the chair. "Come lie down and tell me about the latst gossip from the Council." She rested her head against his chest, exhausted. "I have very little good news." He set her on the bed and pulled off her boots. "Council meetings rarely produce good news." He pulled off her slacks, then supported her as he removed her tunic. He tossed her a sleeveless shift and she pulled it on. "How bad is it?" "Pretty catastrophic." She slid under the covers and settled back into the pillows. "Anakin Skywalker has turned to the Dark Side." Yrin sat down hard. "The Chosen One is a Sith?" She nodded wearily. "We no longer believe that he is the Chosen One, but that his son will be." Yrin's jaw dropped. "His *son?*" She nodded. "Lady Amidala Skywalker is pregnant." He buried his forehead in his palms. "Tell me something good." She sat up. "I am, too." He looked up, amazed. "You're pregnant?" She nodded and he crossed the distance to embrace her tightly. "When did you figure it out?" "A slip of the tongue by Master Yoda." Yrin laughed. "I should have known. This happens every time I leave you alone for more than five minutes." She rested her cheek on his shoulder. "Touche." He lay her down and encircled her in his arms. "Sleep now. Morning will come far too soon as it is." CHAPTER 5 Ana sat back in her chair. "Thank you for coming. I know it's early, but we have to start preparations soon." "What preparations," Zhani interjected. She turned a cold smile on him. "The Sith have discovered where we are through the treason of one of the survivors. As soon as they muster their forces, they will strike." "That's not good," Seth commented. "How long until they strike?" "A matter of days." "Who betrayed us?" She looked down, her jaw working. "If you must know, Anakin Skywalker. We have reason to believe that he is responsible for the information that has caused so much destruction in the last two months." She checked her chrono. "If we send the contingent to the Bimms, we'll have to make a sixty-kilometer trek into the jungle to find our auxiliary transportation." "Sith," Tara said quietly. "Exactly." She folded her arms. "Bimmisaari has offered to take our younger members and anyone else who wishes sanctuary. We have eight people at the level of Knights or above. I will not hold it against anyone who goes to Bimmisaari, no matter their age or rank, but I will be personally grateful to anyone who stays. "I will give you twelve hours to think it over. At the end of that time, you should have had reported your decision to me. Tomorrow, we will be evacuating anyone not staying to fight the Sith to Bimmisaari. We have no time to lose." * * * Yrin looked up as Ana entered. "Are all the votes in?" She nodded solemnly and flopped onto the bed. "I just heard from the last of them." "Well?" "Eight staying, ten leaving," Ana reported. Her mouth twitched into a half-smile. "Well, at least we won't be going down without a fight." "I sent a message to the others. We'll be making two jumps so they can't track us. First to Chandrila, then to Dagobah. As soon as we get to Dagobah, we'll decide where to go from there." Yrin nodded. "I wonder if Skywalker will be dealing personally with any of the attacks." She winced and lay back. "I didn't tell you?" "No." She sighed. "His former Master confronted him on Eol Sha. Anakin was defeated when he fell into a molten pit. The Emperor apparently found ways to sustain him, but I doubt he'll be functioning any time soon." "A bright spot." "Definitely." She turned her head to look at him. "Why are we doing this?" "To organize the evacuation," he said without looking up. "Not that. Why are we still doing this? What's the point?" She frowned. "We plan and we evacuate and we fight back, but we're still down to sixty-three out of the one hundred seventy-four we started with. For all our efforts, we're doing nothing but getting people killed." He looked up, his expression somber. "For all your efforts, you've still got sixty-three. It's better than the Emperor expected. And we've taken some of them with us." She shrugged. "Maybe it's better if we let them kill us all." He crossed to her and knelt, cupping her chin in his hand. "Quiet," he rebuked her gently, "before the children hear." * * * Yrin pulled a blanket over Ana's sleeping form and settled back against a tree. "I doubt they'll attack tonight. They haven't even made planetfall." "They're still in orbit," Seth countered. "Probably want to keep us in suspense. Like a nek and a womp rat." Yrin nodded. "I imagine so." He looked up to see a shooting star. "Looks like they're making their approach. If nothing's changed since I was with them, they'll land somewhere between us and the Temple." "Of course not knowing that we're not going to the Temple." He sighed. "They should be here in a few hours. I guess all we can do is wait." Ana suddenly rolled into a crouch. "What?" She held up a hand, then leapt into the air, igniting her saber to intercept a red blade. Yrin swore and shot to his feet, sweeping his blade into a guard position to parry the blow that came from his left. He noted that the rest of the group had roused at the first sign of danger. The next blow came from above and went into a deep lunge to parry it, then spun on his knees to execute a precise reverse thrust that caught the Sith in the heart. Soon, the only noise in the clearing was the hum of six lightsabers. "Report," Ana barked. "Mind-cloaking and projection," Yrin said. "Sithspawn. How did they manage it for that long?" Jaos Ertna, one of the younger Knights, scowled at the ground. "Zhani's dead. Tara will be the same unless we get her to a Healer in a few hours. Seth has an arm wound." Yrin's breath caught in his throat. "We'll have to wait here for another hour or so. They won't attack in daylight." Ana turned a skeptical look on him. "We don't know that." "It's a safe bet. And we won't be any safer on the move than we are here." "He's right," Mari Lanar interjected. "Everyone on guard. One way or another, we're near the end." * * * Ana slid into place next to Yrin and pulled him into an embrace. "How is she?" He shook his head. "She won't make it to dawn. I've done everything I can for her, but it's too late." "Where did they get her?" Wordlessly, he gestured to his neck and torso, then buried himself in her embrace. She held him close, not trusting herself to speak. "The Sith killed off our Masters, our biological family, and now they've taken the next closest thing." "I know." She felt him stiffen, then sag against her. "She's dead." They both sat in each other's arms for a long moment, sharing in their grief. Finally, Yrin lifted his head to look at the sky. "It's light. We need to get moving." She nodded and broke the embrace. "I'll get the others and we'll be moving shortly." She turned back to offer some empty reassurance, but stopped. Yrin sat, cradling his surrogate daughter for a long moment as he wept, then set her on the ground and covered her in a blanket. He looked up to see her. "Let's get moving." * * * The attack didn't come until they reached the clearing where the shuttle was. Mari fell first under the first attack that caught her in the side of the neck. Ana, directly to her right, whirled to face the assailant and found herself facing three Sith instead of one. She bisected Mari's killer from above, then stepped in and engaged the second as Yrin came to her aid. She drove forward, forcing the Sith into the cover of the trees. He landed a kick to her right side, driving her back into a tree. He swung for her head and she fell to her knees, letting the blade encounter the tree. There was a loud crack as she lunged forward to attack. The next moment, she was hammered to the ground as the tree toppled. She opened her eyes to find the Sith's sightless ones staring back over the blade of her lightsaber. She rolled from beneath the tree and summoned enough strength to get to her feet, then ran to help Yrin. She arrived in time to see Seth make it up the landing ramp of the shuttle. Yrin was still locked in intense combat with the Sith. She drove in from the side. "Get to the ship. I'll take care of this." The moment's distraction in which he looked over to ensure her position was when the Sith struck. The blade ran him through at chest level, then dragged down to his hip. Ana shrieked, more in anger than terror and executed a backhanded slice that decapitated the Sith. She caught Yrin as he fell, then shut off her saber, hooked it to her belt, and scooped him into her arms. She ran up the ramp. "We're clear. Get us out." The ramp raised and locked into place and Ana carried Yrin back to the medbunk. She set him gently down, then dropped to her knees and calmed her senses enough to establish a Healer's Link. Repeatedly, she tried to heal the injuries, but he wasn't responding to her efforts. A hand reached out to rest on her shoulder. "There's too much damage," Yrin said quietly, "isn't there." She nodded miserably. "I can't do anything." "It's only three days to Chandrila. I can make it that far." She buried her face against his side and wept uncontrollably. He took her chin in his hand and tipped it up. His jaw was set, his eyes unaccusing. "Listen to me," he said firmly. "This isn't your fault and I won't have you thinking anything to the contrary." She offered a weak smile. "You know how likely that is," she said wryly. "Exactly." He caught her arm. "You're hurt." She winced. "It could have been a lot worse." He curled in pain and she placed a hand on his forehead, shunting the pain away into her own senses. He relaxed. "Sorry, a bit of heartburn." She wasn't sure whether to glare or weep, so she settled for wincing. "Not funny, Llyr." She stood. "I'll be right back." She crossed to the refresher and dampened a cloth. She crossed back to his side and began mopping his forehead. She began humming, realized that it was the old Alderaanian lullaby she'd heard so frequently. She began singing the words, unsure if they were meant to comfort her or the man dying in front of her. "Whither thou goest, I will go; I will stay with thee, follow thee close. Whither thou goest, I'll follow thee; I will protect thee, trust in me. "Whither thou goest, then take me; I will be loyal, and stay with thee. Whither thou goest, I will go; I'll follow thee closely, protect thy soul. "Whither thou goest to lay thy head, I will stand guard beside thy bed; Guard against winds thy burning love's light. I will protect thee, all through the night. "Whither thou goest, what people are thine, I shall go with thee, and make them as mine. Whither thou goest, I will go; I'll follow thee closely, protect thy soul. I'll follow thee closely, protect thy soul." His eyes filled with tears, he pulled her to sit on the bunk next to him. "I don't have much time, so I'll only say this once. No matter what happens to the Jedi, I want you to protect yourself. You were meant to outlive all of us, to make sure that history doesn't repeat itself. I want you to find a way to keep our son safe. If it means marrying someone with enough power to protect you both or simply disappearing, I want it to happen. I want him to have a long, normal life and die of natural causes, rather than being skewered as his family is so fond of doing." She rested her head on his shoulder. "You're asking a lot." He inhaled sharply, then let his breath out. "I know, but it's for the best. Promise?" "I promise." His breathing relaxed slightly. "It's time," he said quietly. "Kiss me goodnight?" She nodded and brushed the hair away from his face. "You'll be in my dreams," she whispered. "As you are in mine," he replied. She bent down to kiss him, gripping his hand tightly. It went limp and she collapsed in tears, burying her face against his neck. Eventually, she rose to her feet and pulled the sheet over his still form. She then watched as the sheet collapsed as her husband became one with the Force. "We've made it to lightspeed. How's..." Seth caught sight of her tear-streaked face and the empty bunk and leaned heavily against the doorjamb. "Oh, Sith, when?" "Just now." He crossed to her and embraced her tightly. She pulled away a few moments later and wiped the tears from her face. "I'm not going to Dagobah." "What?" She rested a hand on her abdomen. "Yrin wants me to keep our son safe and no matter what it takes, I'm going to make sure his wish comes true."   
  
  
  
  
  



	6. Default Chapter Title

Part 5 PART V FACING TOMORROW "Come on, boy, what will you think of yourself tomorrow?" ~General Lewis Armistead CHAPTER 1 "Disappointed we are, naturally," Master Yoda said, "but understand we do." "Thank you. May the Force be with you." Ana shut off the comm and buried her head in her hands. After thirty-six years, she had cut herself off completely from the only life she'd ever known. The anunciator chimed and she started. She screened the visitor, then stood and crossed to the door. She opened it and bowed. "Governor, to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?" Mon Mothma smiled slightly and returned the bow. "May I come in?" "Of course." Ana stepped aside to let her in. The woman looked around. "I trust your accomodations have been sufficient?" Ana took in the spacious chambers, roughly the size of the Council wing. They were elaborately decorated, as all suites in the Governor's Palace were. "Much more so than I'm accustomed to," Ana said wryly. "Thank you." "After all the Jedi Order has done for Chandrila, it is no sacrifice." She turned to look at Ana. "I understand you wish to disappear." She nodded. "If possible." Mon Mothma nodded. "Given your present circumstances, it's understandable. I'd like to offer my help and the aid of my staff." Ana smiled for the first time in weeks. "I could use that." Mon Mothma nodded. "I'll have some of my staff here in the morning." "Governor, could I entrust you with a few things?" Mon Mothma nodded. Ana crossed to the dresser and removed several items. She lay the two Jedi robes against each other, then placed the holos of their Knighting, wedding, and the births of their children in the middle. She removed the necklace Master Khil had given her, put her wedding and Jedi Order of Alderaan rings on the chain, then looped the necklace through the belt loop. She rolled their lightsabers into the sleeves, then folded the entire congerie into a neat square and tied their Padawn braids around it. She held it in her lap for a minute, then extended it to Mon Mothma. "Could you safeguard this until the Galaxy is safe for my kind once more?" "Of course." She tucked it under her arm. "Good luck in your new life." * * * "I'm Anara Macer. I'm here to interview for the staff position." The vaguely familiar man glanced up, then pulled up the schedule of appointments. "Ah, yes. You come well-recommended it would seem. Mon Mothma has a soft spot for you?" Ana blushed slightly. "Mon Mothma has a sympathy for anyone in need." He gestured to a seat. "What experience do you have?" "I was the chief aide and bodyguard of a prominent man on Coruscant for twelve years." "Why did you leave his employ?" "He died," she said bluntly. The man winced slightly. "That's a reasonable reason. What are your views on the Empire?" Ana hesitate, choosing her words carefully. "The Old Republic had many structural flaws. I do believe that Emperor Palpatine has many auspicious goals to restore justice to the Galaxy, but it is far too early to make any definite decisions. I support the government out of principle." The man nodded approvingly. "Are you here with your husband?" "No." He folded his hands. "If you don't mind my asking..." She drew herself up imperiously. "I am recently widowed. He was in the military and was killed." "I'm sorry." He smiled. "I'm Bail Organa and you've got the job. When can you start?" Ana rose and bowed deeply. "Your Highness, I was not aware to whom I was speaking. My apologies." He waved the apology away. "I prefer the anonymity. If you're to be working as my aide, I refuse to have you groveling every five seconds. Formality is very well on official occasions, but otherwise, I will call you Anara or Macer, whichever you prefer, and you will call me Bail." She smiled slightly. "When do you want me to start?" "Tomorrow?" He called up a file and copied it onto a disk. "I'll have someone in my public relations department contact you today to prepare you for royal service. Otherwise, be in my office in the West Wing of the eighth floor at 0800 tomorrow morning." She nodded. "I'll do that. Thank you." He shook her hand. "I look forward to it." * * * "Is this seat taken?" Ana looked up and smiled demurely at the officer standing before her. "Not currently." He slid into the chair next to her. "I'm Captain Tav Sahren of the Alderaanian Guard." She shook his hand. "Anara Macer, the viceroy's staff." "You're a recent import," he observed. She nodded. "My husband and I were living on Chandrila until he was killed. I've only been here about a month." "How do you like our fair world?" She smiled. "It's certainly more hospitable than Coruscant and warmer than Chandrila. But it's not home." He nodded. "I'll be moving to Imperial Center soon to work for the Ministry of Defense. I'm sure I'll be miserably homesick for Alderaan." She nodded. "The Center does that to people." "How long did you spend there?" "Thirty-five years." He sipped his drink lazily. "You don't look like a native throneworlder." She shrugged. "Not all of us are antisocial and paranoid." Her commlink beeped. She removed it. "Macer here." "Sarec," the viceroy's chief of staff said. "Can you be at the viceroy's personal vehicles hangar any time soon?" Ana glanced down at her formal gown and frowned. "Do I have time to change?" "No." She checked her chrono. "All right; I'll be there in five minutes. Macer out." Ana thumbed off the commlink and sent Tav an apologetic smile. "Sorry, but duty calls. You understand how it is." "Of course." He caught her arm. "Could I call you some time?" Ana blushed. "All right." She wrote her comm code on a piece of flimsi and handed it over. "It was a pleasure meeting you, Captain." He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it gently. "The pleasure was mine. Good night." She dipped briefly in a courtesy, then broke away and headed for the exit. Five minutes later, she arrived at the hangar. Sarec sent her a smile. "Sorry for the interruption, but Bail asked that you be here to help handle this." "No problem at all," she said quietly. "What are we waiting for?" "Special guests." A transport entered the hangar and pulled up. The hatch slid open and Master Kenobi stepped out. His gaze focused on her for a moment, then moved to the viceroy. The two men embraced and Sarec stepped forward to help the second passenger from the transport. Ana immediately recognized Lady Amidala Skywalker, but kept her face impassive. Sarec unloaded a trunk from the transport and activated a repulsorfield beneath it. "Anara, if you could escort Lady Skywalker to the vicerene's quarters." "Yes, sir." Ana steered the trunk into the palace proper, followed by Amidala. "That's a Naboo design, isn't it?" Ana turned and smiled. "Yes, my lady. I find it's a wonderful style during pregnancy." She caught a flash of sadness in the younger woman's eyes. "Indeed." "My apologies, my lady. I did not think." "Quite all right." Ana stopped before the royal chambers and knocked on the door. Sache Organa opened the door and ushered them in. The two women embraced tightly. Sache turned to Ana and she, playing the part of dutiful courtier, bowed deeply. Sache crossed to her and raised her chin. "You should not have to bow, Master Llyr." Ana sucked in her breath. "How long have you known?" "Mon Mothma told us when arranging for your new life. It was honor to take you in. I apologize for the lowliness of your position, but it was the most secure that we could find." Ana smiled sadly. "A Jedi's position is to serve, no matter how great or small the task." "Spoken as a true Jedi," Amidala replied. "Can she be trusted?" Ana stretched out and planted images of their numerous encounters in Amidala's mind. "I believe we know each other, Lady Skywalker." Amidala's eyes widened. "She can stay." Sache caught Amidala's arm. "Did you leave her with Obi-wan?" Amidala said nothing, only crossed to the trunk and opened it. She moved clothes aside and removed a bundle. She cradled it against her chest for a long moment, then crossed to Sache. "This is the new Princess of Alderaan." Sache pulled the blanket and sucked in her breath. "She's the exact image of you." "She has Anakin's nose," she countered sadly. "Her brother looks so much like Anakin." "What is to become of him?" Amidala passed the bundle over to Sache. "He is being raised by Obi-wan's brother and sister-in-law on Tatooine." Sache nodded. "Anakin will never go back there. Too many memories." She nodded. "Exactly why he's there." Sache sat in a chair and gazed wonderingly at the infant in her arms. Amidala sat next to her, hunched forward. "What do you call her?" Amidala smiled wistfully. "Leia." "Princess Leia Organa," Sache whispered as her foster daughter reached up to explore her features with her hands. "I love it." "She's had a long journey. Perhaps we should put her to bed." Sache reached out to touch Amidala's arm. "Thank you. I don't know how hard this is for you, but it is for the best." "I know," Amidala said quaveringly, her voice that of someone on the verge of tears. "Take good care of her, please?" "Always." They stood and moved into the bedroom. Ana repacked the things in the trunk and was about to leave when the viceroy returned. He looked over the nearly empty living room. "Where are they?" Ana looked up. "Putting Princess Leia to bed." His face broke into a broad grin. "How is she?" Ana smiled. "She's perfect, Bail." He sagged into a chair. "I'm visiting the refugee populations on the southern continent tomorrow. Would you like to accompany me?" "Certainly. Thank you." He folded his arms. "We'll be leaving at 1300. You are at liberty until then." "Thank you." He nodded. "Good night." * * * Ana palmed her door open and crossed to the comm center. A message light was flashing. She called up the first one. "Anara, the viceroy has requested that you be put on special assignment attached to the vicerene's staff. Report to the royal chambers tomorrow at 0900." She grabbed a blumfruit and bit into it, then scrolled forward to the next message. "Anara, it's Tav Sahren, from the reception. The new Takharna opera is premeiring in four days and I have tickets. I was wondering if you would do me the honor of accompanying me. Respond to this comm line either way. Good night." The comm clicked off and she flopped onto the bed. "Thirty-six and I feel like a sixteen-year-old," she grumbled. She shoved the rest of the blumfruit into her mouth and swallowed. Halfway to the light switch, her danger sense went off. She lunged for the switch. The hum of a lightsaber stopped her dead in her tracks. "That won't be necessary, Master Llyr." She backed to the wall and wrenched a metal support beam from one of the stands. She swung it like a lanvarok and dropped into a high guard stance. "I won't ask how you found me." "You won't live long enough for it to matter." He swung the lightsaber in a high blow. She lunged to the side and brought the beam up to block the blow at the hilt, twisting her torso to avoid the energy shaft. She drove the end of the beam into his abdomen, then elbowed up into his nose. His saber drove straight into her upper leg, but she took the opportunity to drive the flat edge straight into his throat. She fell back, letting the blade disengage from her leg in a messy sweep. She bolted for the door before he could attack again and ran for the turbolift. Fifteen minutes and a phone call later, she arrived at the same hangar that she'd been to just two weeks before. Sarec was waiting for her and let her in. She got three steps into the palace before her leg collapsed completely. Bail caught her and scooped her up. "Have the resident medic come to our quarters and have someone in Home Guard check out her apartment." He carried her into the royal quarters and set her down on the couch. The medic immobilized her leg, then began examining it. "The police found her attacker. He's dead from a crushed windpipe." Ana winced. "His fault for attempting assassination." "I contacted Tav Sahren. He'll be here in a few moments." Ana looked up sharply. "Sahren's an Imperial." Bail looked over. "He's also our refugee coordinator and one of the strongest supporters of the insurgents. He'll know what to do. How's the leg?" "A mess. Even with bacta, reconstructive surgery is needed. I'll give her something to counteract and prevent any infection, but I want her in the medcenter by morning." There was a knock at the door and Sarec opened it. "You summoned me?" Tav moved into the room and caught sight of her. "I should have known," he said wryly. He crossed the room and extended a hand. "Captain Tav Sahren of Alderaan." "Master Ana Llyr, born on Alderaan, raised on Coruscant at the Jedi Temple." He inspected her leg. "Looks like you had a runin with one of the Sith death commandos." Ana rolled her eyes. "Very perceptive." "We need to get her off-planet or secured somewhere." "I can find her a way onto Coruscant when I leave in a week," Tav offered. "I'm being hunted by the Empire. It would be death to return to Coruscant." "Exactly why no one would look for you there," Tav countered. "You could pose as my wife and no one would ask any questions." She folded her arms and grinned. "You work fast, you know that?" He shot her a bemused look. "Not legally, just for purposes of protection." Ana nodded slowly. "All right." "All right," Bail said. "Now that that's settled, where do we keep her in the meantime?" "As soon as she's out of the medcenter, we should house her in the palace." Sarec cleared his throat. "There are quarters in the servants' wing." Tav shook his head. "There's too much chance of someone seeing her." He looked up at Bail. "Could she stay somewhere in the executive wing? Servants and guests could come and go without questions." "Perfect." He stood. "Let's move her out." CHAPTER 2 He was there when she awoke, sleeping upright in a chair. At first she was too groggy to register his identity. He startled awake suddenly and looked up. He smiled sleepily. "Hello, there." She smiled. "How long have you been here?" "They said you'd be regaining consciousness today, so I came over after my patrol shift. I must have dozed off." "I'm sorry." He took her hand. "Don't worry about it." "How long have I been out?" "They put you in bacta for a day and a half after the surgery, so two days." Ana winced. "Can I leave now?" "As soon as the medic discharges you, we have your quarters set up." She rubbed fatigue from her eyes. "Could you go find him?" Fifteen minutes later, she settled onto the bed of her quarters. "How are preparations going?" He handed her a datacard and a box. "The datacard has our apartment information and your cover story." She inserted the datacard into a pad and scanned through. The address caught her eye and she sucked in her breath. He caught her hand. "What's wrong?" She shook her head. "You found an apartment in the Temple district, where the Jedi Knights used to be housed." He bit his lip. "I'm sorry; I didn't know. Did you know anyone who lived there?" She nodded. "That's where I lived for thirteen years." She opened the box to find a corusca gem solitaire on a white gold band. "It's beautiful." He took the ring and slid it onto her finger. "I figured if we're going to be impersonating husband and wife, we should at least do it convincingly." "How long will this be going on?" "As long as necessary." He squeezed her fingertips. "I talked to Kenobi. I know that you left the Order to give your child a normal, safe life. I'll ensure that it happens." She blinked back tears. "Thank you for everything." He smiled. "It's my pleasure. Now, if you wouldn't mind telling me exactly who you are, we could move on." * * * Tav shut off the comm and headed into the bedroom. "We're expected to night at the Minister of Defense's home for a dinner party. I'll call a..." He trailed off as he saw Ana sitting in tears on the bed. "Are you all right?" She nodded. "Sorry, I just thought I'd be able to handle this better." She wrapped her arms around herself. "When the place you call home is suddenly changed to something so drastically different, it's not exactly easy." He crossed to her and enfolded her in an embrace. "I don't expect for any of this to be easy for you, but I'm only willing to help you." She sniffed loudly. "Thank you. Now, what were you saying about the dinner party?" "Formalwear required. I think you should find something new to wear and I have to be at work in half an hour. Would you like me to call a cab?" She shook her head and pushed awkwardly to her feet. "I could use the fresh air." "But in your condition." She turned to smile at him. "I'm pregnant, not dying. I'll walk." * * * "Anara, this is Lanai Zhakaren of Intelligence. Lanai, this is my wife, Anara." Ana smiled coldly. "I'm surprised that the likes of Intelligence would consort with the esteemed Ministry of Defense." Lanai narrowed her eyes. "Some of us have strength of character instead of the weak puppets that inhabit these sort of functions." Ana tilted her chin and inclined her head just perceptibly towards the balcony. "Indeed." Lanai sipped at her drink. "We hadn't heard that Tav had married." Ana hooked her arm through his. "He's been quite busy." Lanai arched her eyebrows at her bulging abdomen. "Evidently." Ana turned to Tav. "I'll be right back, dear. I could use some fresh air." He kissed her knuckles and smiled. "I'll be waiting." She made her way to the balcony and leaned on the railing, waiting until she had company. "What happened to Yrin?" Ana turned and folded her arms. "The Purges happened. He was killed while we were fleeing Yavin two months ago." Lanai sucked in her breath. "Did he die quickly?" Ana clenched her jaw and shook her head. "He lasted almost twenty minutes after the Sith ran him through." "How did you end up with Sahren?" Ana smiled slightly. "I left the Order out of self-preservation and the Chandrilan Governor set me up with a new identity on Alderaan. While working as the viceroy's aide, I met Tav. When a Sith found me and tried to kill me, he offered to take me into his protection for as long as necessary." She rubbed her finger and bit her lip. "We're not legally married, but I wouldn't mind if it ended that way." She smiled slightly. "So, how do you know Tav?" Lanai winced. "He knew Vanli." "I see." Ana glanced back inside. "I think if we stay out here too long, they'll begin to suspect something." She nodded. "I'll make small talk with the Minister's aides out here. You make your entrance. Where are you staying?" Ana's mouth twitched. "We got assigned my old apartment in the Temple District." "Same comm code?" She nodded. "I should be going now." She reentered the room and made her way back to Tav's side. "Did you enjoy the view, Anara?" She glanced back over her shoulder. "Yes, it was quite refreshing." * * * Ana turned to see Tav enter the kitchen. "You're back early." He smiled slightly. "By five minutes. Does this throw off your timing?" "Not at all." She poked him in the abdomen with a serving spoon. "You can set the table." He caught the spoon and pulled her in for a kiss. Startled, she pulled away and caught his guilty expression. "I'm sorry. I didn't think before..." She pressed a hand to his lips. "It's all right. It just took me by surprise." He winced. "I hate it when that happens." She kissed him lightly. "I know." She handed him a serving bowl. "I'll be right in." She entered a few minutes later and set the last serving dish on the table. He pulled out the chair from the table and helped her sit, then took his place across from her. "I want to get a job." He looked up, startled. "What brought this on?" "I don't want to spend the next two and a half months fluffing pillows," she said wryly. "I want to feel useful." He nodded. "Reasonable enough. Any ideas?" "I'm going to start looking tomorrow." He served some of the nerf onto his plate. "I hear CRI is hiring." She sent him a glare. "I do have a soul, you know." "Exactly. You could improve the scenery in there." She blushed. "I might try that." * * * Ana removed her nametag and set it in her locker. She pulled on her jacket and zipped it up to her throat. "Another rewarding day of work," a woman next to her grumbled. "I swear, if I had known that I'd have to work here to put myself through graduate school, I would have sold my soul to the Sith long ago. I nearly got jumped today." Ana laughed. "Don't take it personally. People hate anyone associated with this building. My husband suggested I work here to change the system." She snorted. "Good luck. I've been trying to do that for three years." "I'm just working here for a couple of months." The woman extended a hand. "Serana Aturin, cubicle 4931." Ana caught her breath as she got her first good look at the woman. She looked like what Sceri would have at this age. "Are your parents Enari and Valin?" The other nodded. "You know them?" Ana hesitated, then smiled. "Only by brief acquaintance twenty years ago. You look like your mother." Serana smiled slightly. "I'm one of identical twins, but my sister was killed twenty years ago." Ana shook her hand. "I'm Anara Sahren, cubicle 4928." "A pleasure. Where do you live?" "The old Temple District." "It's snowing out there; you want a ride?" Ana laughed. "I'd forgotten that there's weather; I'd love a ride." * * * Tav frowned. "What's wrong? You look like you saw a ghost." She sat down. "I just got a ride with Serana Aturin." "So?" Ana folded her arms across her chest and hunched forward. "Twenty years ago, my best friend and I were captured while on a mission. We were both tortured, but she had a reaction to the interrogation drugs that drove her violently insane. Before anyone could find us, she had killed herself. Her name was Sceri Aturin and I'm working three cubicles away from her twin sister." He arched an eyebrow. "Well, that's certainly a turn of events." "I could hardly believe it myself, but it's definitely her." He crossed to the end table and retrieved a package. "Speaking of past lives, this came for you by special courier earlier today." Ana settled into the couch and took the package. It was wrapped in paper and closed with the official seal of Chandrila. She tore open the paper and lifted free the bundle she'd left on Chandrila. "What is it?" Ana held up the bundle. "When I severed ties to my old life, I left everything that was left with the Governor of Chandrila. I asked her to hold it until I was safe again." He sat next to her. "Looks like that time has come. Let's see what your life was like." * * * "Do you love him?" Ana looked up sharply at Lanai. "You mean Tav?" "Yes, Tav," Lanai said, her mouth curving into a smile. "You've been posing as his wife for a month and a half now. Do you have any feelings for him?" Ana set down her datapad. "I don't know. I'm very grateful for his assistance, but it's only been three months since Yrin was killed. I certainly have a degree of affection for him, but I'm not sure I love him. Not the way I loved Yrin, at least." Lanai shook her head. "What you had with Yrin was a bond of the Force, an entirely unique phenomenon. I don't know if you'll ever find something like that again in your life." Ana nodded. "You're right. What I'm starting to feel for Tav is a kind of love, but not the same." "If he wants to officialize the marriage, would you agree?" Ana smiled slightly. "I think so." * * * Two months and eight hours of labor later, the last of the Llyrs came into the world. Ana sagged back against the pillows, exhausted, as Tav handed her son to her. She cradled him to her, looking his features over. "He looks like you," Tav said quietly. She buried her face against his shoulder. "I'm so relieved," she said quietly through her tears. He sat next to her and peered at the infant. He curled a tiny hand around Tav's finger. "He's going to be a strong one." "That he is," she agreed. He slid an arm around her shoulders. "What shall we call our son?" "Tarin." Tav smiled. "I like it." He leaned in to kiss her cheek, then kept his mouth close to her ear. "I love you and I want nothing more to be your protector for the rest of our lives. Will you do me the honor of marrying me?" Ana caught her breath and turned to look at him, then grinned. "Yes." CHAPTER 3 Ana ducked into Master Yoda's hut, then straightened. He turned and smiled. "Waiting for you have I been." She bowed, then extended Tarin to the diminutive Master. "Your son this is?" "Yes," she said quietly. He took the child and she sat against the wall. The sight of the Master cradling something half its size was rather amusing, but she kept her emotions in check. "Yrin's eyes he has, but your face also. Strong in the Force is he?" "I don't know. In keeping with the Temple traditions, I prefer to have you test him, which is why I'm here." "Yes, yes." His ears twitched. "Transport have you?" "Yes. My husband is there. I'm sure he won't mind you using it for as long as necessary." Ten minutes later, Tav entered the hut. "I assume the green dwarf is who we came to see?" "Speaks in unintelligible sentences, carrying our son and a gimer stick?" She laughed. "That's Master Yoda. He's nearly nine hundred and incredibly eccentric, but he's the best we had." She pulled her legs up to her chest so he could sit. He took his place, then looked around the small hut. "Quite a departure from the Temple, I must say." She shrugged. "The Jedi Order began and ended in humility. We didn't plan for it to happen this way, but it's fitting all the same. The Temple I grew up in actually was built at the insistence of the Supreme Chancellor five hundred years ago. Master Yoda probably remembers the day he moved in." She pulled a serpent from her lap and released it through the window. "It was built over the ruins of another Temple, a much smaller one. There have been three on that site. Our Memorial was built into the first one, nearly a mile beneath the surface of Coruscant." "I wonder if there's anything remaining of the first two or if they were crushed under the rubble." "I don't know. They paved it over before we returned. It would take an excavation to even see any of the remnants." He rested a hand on her knee, then turned and leaned back against her legs. "What was it like to be a Jedi?" She sighed. "I suppose it was like any other life in a lot of ways. We had our own weaknesses to overcome, hardships, and joys. Given, most children don't spend five hours a day chanting passages of philosophy or studying galactic politics. And twelve-year-olds don't often get entrusted with lethal weapons. "I never could imagine what I would have been like if I had been Force-blind, but I know that I probably wouldn't have traded my life for anything." He smiled. "How long until we know?" "If he's Force-blind, we should know very shortly. If he makes it past the first tests, there are a series of tests that have to be performed." "What will you do if he's Force-sensitive?" She frowned. "I don't know. If he is discovered, he will be destroyed." "Is there any way to prevent that?" She nodded. "I will be having Master Yoda do it to me as well. He can either dampen Force sensibility or lower the count of midichlorians enough to strip me of my powers." "Is that dangerous?" "I might be a bit unaccustomed to it, but it's not harmful. Tarin will have an easier time, since he hasn't had to rely on the power yet." "Necessary that will not be," Yoda said, returning with Tarin. "Force-strong he is not." Ana sagged. "Thank the Force." She pressed a hand to her sternum. "I need you to strip me of my Force ability." "Sure are you?" "Yes." His ears drooped. "Very well. Come with me." "Tav, I think it's best if you return to the transport." He nodded. "I'll be waiting." Master Yoda waited until he was on his way, then turned back to her. "Put you into a trance I will. Endure this you should not have to." "Yes, Master." She sat in a meditative stance and opened her senses to the Force. She could sense the calm lethargy of a trance overcoming her, then the blackness engulfed her. Ana awoke in a cold sweat, her heart pounding furiously. Master Yoda stood over her, his face grim. She instinctively tried to open her senses, found that she no longer had the ability. She caught her breath and brushed her hand against her forehead as if to make sure she was still alive. "Finished it is," he said quietly. "How feel you?" She pushed herself into a sitting position. "I don't know," she whispered. He reached out a hand to touch her cheek. "Hard this will be for you, since so strong you were, but necessary it was." "I know," she agreed. "Thank you." He enfolded her in an embrace. "May the Force over you watch in all things as it has before. It can no longer guide you, but mind what you have learned and save you it will." Ana stood and bowed. "May the Force be with you, Master." She turned and left the hut. She stumbled through the swamps to the transport and collapsed against the landing struts. Tav gripped her by the arms and pulled her to her feet. He helped Ana into her bunk on the transport. "Are you all right?" She shuddered. "It's as though I've been blinded." He pulled a blanket over her. "It will be all right. You're finally safe."   
  
  
  
  
  



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